Monsters
by SkyeShined
Summary: Once upon a time a little girl was saved from monsters, by a monster. She stayed with her chosen guardian but once another story started she wasn't safe anymore. Her monster savior has to come back, but will he save the girl again or keep her for himself?
1. A Guest is Coming

**_Summary: _**_Once upon a time a little girl was saved from monsters, by a monster. In this story she stayed with her chosen guardian, but once another story started she wasn't safe anymore. Different monsters are invading her story again, and her monster savior has to come back. Will he save the girl again? Or will he just steal her away and keep her for himself? Can a monster go against it's nature for that long?_

* * *

"Once upon a time there was a little girl who hadn't seen her mother in seven years. She was forced to dress in iron clothes and was told: "When you wear out your clothes you can go back to your mother." The girl rubbed her clothes on the wall trying desperately to tear them... When they had finally been torn, she got some milk, and bread, and a little cheese and butter, and set out for her mother's house. In the wood she met a wolf who asked what she was carrying..."*

The story paused as Ziza crawled from her mothers hold to the end of her bed leaning out a little to see who the footsteps in the hall belonged too instead of the beautifully painted pictures in the book. Her big brown eyes lit up and she smile wide as she cheered, "JACK! Jack's home!"

"Jackie? Hun?" Lajjun asked as she sat up, waiting for the teen to pop her head in the room. Ziza was still bouncing so she knew the teen was still out there. "Jacqueline?"

Sighing Jack squirmed a little before putting on a sheepish look sticking her head in the room to smile at the mother and daughter saying a short but pleasant "Hi." Ziza made a happy noise and Lajjun still looked regal even in her robe, settling in for the night. She also looked concerned. Probably because while Jack had finally come home today, and _for her_ it was early in the night, now that she'd graduated high school this year it wasn't likely she'd be there when anyone woke up unless she came back when the sun came up and crashed in her room.

"You've been gone since yesterday Jacqueline..." Lajjun pointed out with a light frown. "Didn't you get Abu's message?"

Jack's smiled faded a little. "We have some sort of visitor coming tomorrow?" She had even stepped outside to listen to the message. He'd looked sort of grim on the small screen of her vid-phone, but like he was trying to be happy about it. Encouraging her to stay home tomorrow, that she should wear the new outfit they got her...

Red, bright, deep bleeding, red... stark contrast to the powdery pink one that Ziza had been prancing around in the night before last before bed. Jack had carefully packed the beautiful outfit away in her closet, and now she suspected that she should have burned it like impulse had dictated upon seeing it. Ever since she heard the story Lajjun was currently telling her daughter she'd never been very fond of the color.

"You're going to be home right?" Lajjun asked, still frowning, even worrying her lip a little with her teeth.

"When are they coming?" Jack asked as she slipped into the room a little more. It prompted Ziza to pounce her and crawl up into her arms. Jack busied herself with propping the five year old on her hip. She nuzzled the young girl's bouncy, curly hair. Soft.

Right Lajjun didn't like repeating herself.

"-Afternoon."

Well Jack caught something. All else fails ask the small one with the bright smile. "When Ziza?"

"Early to mid afternoon," Ziza chirped with an adoring look that Jack sort of remembered giving... _him_...

"Jack!" Lajjun admonished.

Couldn't get her real name out of the woman unless she was outraged. Sighing Jack bounced Ziza a bit and asked, "So who's coming that I need to be here? Wouldn't most guests appreciate... my absence?" She censored what she was really going to say, something less polite. Granted she would have just been downing herself.

"Why wouldn't our guests want to meet you?" Ziza asked pouting and wiggling about Jack's side.

"'Cause I'm not as cute as you," Jack cooed jokingly rubbing her nose against Ziza's, it got the little girl to smile and giggle. Kids it seemed were easy to distract, was she like this?

It did not miss Jack's attention that Lajjun hadn't answered her. Walking over to the bed Jack let Ziza down to crawl back up to the pillows while she eyed the older woman warily. "Who's coming Lajjun?" Jack asked raising a brow, but softening the wary look now that Ziza had turned around to sit against the pillows and look at her.

"A friend of Abu's," Lajjun said vaguely. They had all learned at the beginning of their relationship that Imam was not dad, and while Jack loved Lajjun just as much as she loved Imam now she was not mom either. After the initial awkwardness everyone accepted it and realized it made everyone happier this way. Lajjun put an arm around Ziza as she reopened the book she had been reading. "Why don't you come listen to the story Jackie?"

Jack felt uncomfortable. Why couldn't she know?

"I... don't know... is, uhm, Imam in his study?" Jack asked, wondering if he'd tell her who this mysterious visitor was.

"He is," Lajjun nodded. When Jack turned around though the mother called out comfortingly, "You'll be okay Jackie."

Jack looked over her shoulder wondering why Lajjun looked worried again. Walking out of the room with a goodnight farewell to the pair Jack made a mental note to master that tone of voice even when she was upset. It seemed like it could come in handy.

Down the hall Jack found herself in Imam's doorway. His study was spacious, filled with books, right below the attic space she took to hiding in when she had nowhere to go, but didn't want to be home. She hadn't been up there lately, not since he and Lajjun had the what is she doing with her life conversation a little over a week ago. They seemed worried she'd do something dumb. Either way though, he was reading a book, so she politely cleared her throat. For a second she felt like she was twelve again the first night after _he_ left, wondering how this was going to work. Imam looked up much like he had then, slightly confused, mostly curious. Six years was a long time.

"Jack you're home," Imam smiled warmly motioning for her to sit in on of the arm chairs opposite his desk.

Jack walked in the room looked at the chair, again much like she had that night, but didn't sit down. Instead she put her arms behind her back asking, "Who's coming tomorrow that I need to be home?" Her voice wasn't demanding, merely questioning. She learned a long time ago how to hide that bite in her tone it didn't ever get her far. Swallow bite, swallow a little pride, and wash it out with a smile and people melted.

His warm smile faded a little before he set down his book. "Someone important," Imam replied cryptically. When Jack finally did sit, he recognized that look. It was stubborn, unwavering, and worst of all she could still sit like that for more than an hour. "The government has hired someone for any up and coming problems we might have with the Necromongers. It's very hush-hush..."

Jack frowned, skeptical. Yes it was leaking out that these necro-things were going to eventually end up coming to Helion Prime. No one seemed to have an answer to the problem, Jack doubted one man would do it. If one man could... Jack didn't think she wanted to meet them, she didn't want to look at a guy and instantly know that there was someone better for the job. She spent all of high school dateless because none of them were ever as good as _him_ and they never would be. "Why is this person coming here?"

"I've offered our hospitality until his home is set up near the outskirts of the city," Abu answered readily. That one he'd planned the answer too. Unfortunately Jack always had a way of asking the one question he didn't have a solid answer to.

"Why do I gotta dress up for this?" Jack asked boredly as she relaxed a bit in the soft chair. "Shouldn't you want your outspoken daughter-figure out and away from anything I might mess up?" Wouldn't be the first time she stormed out of a room after saying something rude and slightly threatening to someone military.

"He... uh, expressed interest in meeting my entire family," Abu offered haltingly. Jack didn't look impressed. "It's just... politics." Imam said even more unsure.

When they sat at an impasse for too long Jack stood deciding that she'd just have to see what was going on here. "Fine, I'll stick around tomorrow, I'll even wear the new sari." Jack had to wonder why Imam didn't look like he was getting what he wanted. It made the eighteen year old pause, frown, and walk over to stand right in front of the desk saying, "I don't know what's going on here, but I don't like it _holy man_. I'm _not_ happy."

It was an old useless threat that she hadn't used for years...

_He_... Riddick... told Imam, shiv pressed to throat, that he was to keep her safe and happy or he'd make him sorry.

This was the first time it looked like the threat worked...

* * *

***Disclaimer**: Along with Riddick and his verse not belonging to me (obviously) the story Lajjun was reading to Ziza at the beginning I got from the movie Jin Roh, and I'm not sure where they got it from, but the point is it's not mine. Just to clear that up before anyone goes on a rant about me stealing one of the many versions of Red Riding Hood. This disclaimer will be for the rest of the fic because the story will make more appearances.

AUTHORS NOTES!

Okay! The beginning. Sorry about the summary, I really do hate those things and I didn't know how to explain this one except in that horrendous fairytale beginning way. I now this chapter is small, but the next one which will be posted in a little bit (probably already be up by the time you read this) will be longer.

Huh other than that I really don't know what to say about this one. It was an odd idea I had because of my odd Red Riding Hood obsession... Mixed with the fact that Riddick sure as hell wouldn't save any world for free if Jack didn't run off and go all Necromonger on him. This is set a long little while before they actually invade, so there's time before that.

Reviews, Questions, and Comments are welcome, and much appreciated!


	2. Red Riding Hood was a Gift

_It was dark, so dark but it wasn't _that_ dark. She could see the landscape she was running through. All sand, packed earth, nothing growing. In the distance were trees that weren't trees, but no matter how hard and fast she ran for cover they wouldn't get any closer. For once she couldn't hear wings and that dreadful clicking, but instead she heard paws on the ground, barking, growling, and howling following her._

_She looked over her shoulder only to gasp and fall when she found silver eyes behind her._

_Now on the ground Jack found wolves, silver eyed wolves surrounding her. About six all in different shades of black, some faded to a gray color, one, the one in front of her was pitch black, it was hard to follow in the dark landscape._

_Jack tried to move back, but the wolves behind her snapped at her making her cry and shy away from them. When they started to growl she reluctantly moved even closer to the darkest wolf, but he bit her. Actually bit her, she looked down at her arm where the beast had lunged, and it was bleeding. Jack knew it had to hurt and cried harder. Whether she was crying because of the wound she couldn't feel, or the red cloak around her she couldn't be sure though._

_When she tried to move from it again though it jumped at her. Jack's back hit the ground and she could see the wolf growling above her, but it wasn't growling at her, it was growling at the other wolves. Jack was too scared to push it away, especially when it laid over her licking her neck. She shivered feeling the warm wet tongue against her neck. Her hands reached up to try and coax it off her, so very scared it'd bite down, but instead of finding fur she found a human body, male._

_She tried more frantically to get the man off her, but teeth found her neck. He wasn't biting down, but she could feel the teeth and knew that if he wanted to he could do just as much damage as the wolf could have._

_Why couldn't she see anymore?_

_A whine touched her lips before teeth left her throat and lips touched her own..._

"Wolf..." Jack whimpered jerking her head to the side in her sleep.

The man above her grinned. So this was his Jack? Didn't dream about childhood monsters on T2 anymore but cried about wolves in her sleep. He leaned down and kissed her neck again softly, nuzzling until her whining stopped as he knelt over her, knees on either side of her hips on the pillow covered bed. He wondered what these wolves were doing to his Jack, and then for half a second he wondered if he should be doing this, sneaking into a kid's room at night kissing and nuzzling her in her sleep.

Arms heavily moved around him, gripping at his wife beater, and he pushed the thoughts aside. She was his, and now the holy man couldn't say boo, not only because she was of age, but because his precious government had all but blessed him taking one girl in exchange for the whole planet. Jack gasped as Riddick slid one of his hands under her neck, and he grinned against her cheek. He could remember her getting all blushy when he rubbed her back at night to calm her down, how she'd press close and he'd have to remind himself she was just a child. Now as he purposefully rubbed the back of her neck paying careful attention to her spine, he got another soft noise and...

"Riddick..."

He jerked a little leaning back to look at her. Jack's eyes were closed, she was still asleep. Riddick chuckled ran his thumbs across her cheeks to remove any lingering tears. Dreaming about him and wolves.

"Riddick... eyes..."

Or was he the wolf?

"All the better to see you with," Riddick breathed against her ear before settling down next to her. He missed having a warm body next to him. He'd just have to leave before she got up, after all her guest wasn't supposed to show up until that afternoon. Imam suggested using his "paycheck" on new clothes. For now... he watched Jack turned and nuzzle against him before settling. He could get use to his new Jack.

ooo

Jack had ignored all calls for breakfast, only got out of bed to shower and use the restroom. Clean, she was only in short shorts and the black tube-top she was to wear under that red riding hood get up. That's what she chose to call it damn it! Because nothing good could come of it. Especially after those dreams. Wolves with silver eyes surrounding her in a dark desert couldn't have been a good sign. Jack just _knew_ something wasn't right. So to hide from what she knew she was currently buried among the many pillows on her bed, ignoring the world and waiting for Lajjun or Ziza to yell for her to get dressed.

Ziza called Jack's bed a nest, all pillows and blankets, and the end of days would occur if it was ever made by Jack herself. The bed was all black and white, it was amazing the pillows didn't all flop to the floor, and Jack felt safest nuzzled among her pillows clinging for no real obvious reason to the black body pillow. There was a blanket here somewhere but it was amazing she didn't die of heatstroke in the New Mecca heat at night around all this fluff anyway, so it was largely unneeded. Said heat was making her feel warm and fuzzy, and keeping her from thinking about whatever was wrong with the adults in this household, and how it had to do with her somehow. The nice warm feeling was keeping her sleepy enough to not mind lounging around in bed for most of the day. She was going to milk this for all it was worth until the last possible second.

Wiggling some more Jack had just gotten a pillow to fall over her back just right when Ziza started cheering downstairs. The last possible second had arrived and Jack was reluctant to wrap herself up like a present for someone she didn't even know. Still Jack pulled herself from bed, and forgoing what Lajjun insisted was a petticoat and essential to wearing a sari, wrapped the long red cloth around her making a long skirt and lazily finished it off by throwing the last piece over her shoulder.

Glancing in the mirror Jack felt exactly like a present. A doomed present. At least she wasn't completely draped from head to toe, that just would have been murder...

"_JACK!_ Jack, come see who's here!" Ziza's excited little voice called from the stairs before footsteps signaled her running back down.

"If you don't like it, just leave..." Jack whispered to the image of herself in the mirror. "If you feel threatened, if something doesn't feel right, just run away." She nodded to her mirror self, frowned, and then forced herself to look bored before walking over to her door and opening it. She tried to see who was there, but they weren't standing next to the door or in any parts of the palor she could see. Sighing Jack did something she remembered being taught never to do when she thought she was in danger. She merely moved over to the steps hopping down them quickly and spinning around the banister to see who was there.

She barely got a foot away from the steps when she froze her brain rushing to realize who she was looking at while sending the appropriate responses to her limbs. Only too many reactions were rushing to her limbs and Jack just didn't move, her mouth slightly agape. People were talking at her, the only lights in the normally bright house were reduced to whatever could leak through shutters, and... and damn it she could barely think it, but Riddick, Richard B. Riddick was watching her with mercury eyes.

_Speak of the devil..._

She thought is name for the first time in forever and the next night he was in her parlor...

Were they saying something? Jack flicked her eyes around the room, three pairs of eyes were worried and three mouths were saying something, but hell if she was processing it. Her eyes flew back to Riddick's, he had moved, licked his lips. He had admitted once upon a time that females had one thing on males, peripheral vision. She could feel her heart in her chest hammering against her ribs like a wild animal trying to escape a cage it had never been in before.

"I'm sorry."

Jack forced her eyes to Imam when he spoke. Lajjun had picked up Ziza, taking her upstairs. Why was he sorry? "What?" Jack asked shaking her head, not understanding. Was he sorry he didn't tell her Riddick would be coming?

"I'm sorry..." Imam repeated solemnly.

"No I heard that, why?" Jack questioned her ire rising, sliding back a step. She was now painfully aware that she wasn't even wearing socks.

"Didn't you hear Jack? Heroes on this planet get anything they want," Riddick said, grinning darkly as he moved after her.

Of course his voice would come in loud and clear, meaning and all, over her thundering heart. After he took one more step Jack bolted, didn't care in the least she wasn't wearing shoes. She had the door open and was outside before she really knew what she was doing. The warm earth under her feet registered as she ran, the sun was warm, and this all registered for only a moment before arms moved around her. She hadn't even gotten passed the gate...

Jack struggled hard, kicking, shoving, elbowing. She didn't scream even though just past the gate their were people passing none the wiser to the scuffle taking place. She knew that screaming wouldn't help, screaming never helped anyone she ever knew. It didn't take long before Jack was turned around, and she found herself with her face pressed to the black linen of his long sleeved, button up shirt. She tried to push away from him, but he just hefted her up over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" Jack yelled, pounding her fists against his back despite the fact she knew it wouldn't help. She damned the sari restricting her leg movements. Once they were inside Jack yelled more hearing the door slam behind her, "Damn it Riddick! Put me down! You didn't want me before, you can't have me now! Let me go!"

A sharp short pain made her yelp, and at first she didn't understand it before she realized he'd hit her. He fucking spanked her. "Put me the fuck down!" Clasping her hands together she hit him as hard as she could on the back. He shifted her around, but didn't falter at all. She looked up desperately seeking help only to realize they were walking to the guest bedroom. Imam stood at the end of the hall looking ashamed of himself and Jack glared. A few steps later though they turned into the lavishly decorated, but little used, room across from the dining room. Despite her struggles he shut the door before none to gently throwing her down onto the bed.

"Hi Jack," He greeted, amused as she scrambled back from him. It was hard to believe that this girl in front of him was the scrawny little kid he left behind. Pulling his goggles back off from running outside his eyes ran over her form. The red cloth wrapped around her, the smooth skin of her sides, the short messy hair reminiscent of the cut she had before she shaved her head to look like him, and that fired up, angry, look in her green eyes made him grin. He left her to keep her safe, from mercs from himself. Now she was old enough, and he'd distanced himself from that pesky human side. No constant praying from the holy man, no Fry telling him she wasn't going to die for him, no little girl pulling at heartstrings and looking up at him like he was the world.

"Let me go Riddick," Jack seethed, tensed to fight if she had to. "I don't know what's going on here but you can go crawl back under whatever rock you've been under all this time." She was angry she never got any word from him, not one in six years. She was pissed she was some sort of prize for whatever they thought Riddick was actually going to stick around to do.

It was such a good thing this place was so full of religion, religion of all kinds, because they were going to have to pray for a miracle. Riddick was not a hero, despite her adoration of him, even at twelve she knew this. Her hands gripped the soft gold and red covers under her, hating the color even more growling, "I want you to go away."

"Aw, Jack, Jack, Jack, is that anyway to talk to me? I left you here all safe and sound, and now that it's not I'm here to keep you safe again," Riddick told her, making his voice smooth and calming even as he stalked closer to the bed. She was nervous but not scared, no never scared of him. Six years apart and his Jack still wasn't afraid of him. Maybe not smart, but she'd learned to be wary and distrusting at least. That he'd work on easing her out of... eventually.

"Like hell you are! What did they offer you a pardon and some cash, so you'd fight for them if the Necromongers decided that they'll destroy Helion?" Jack questioned him, purposely leaving out that she seemed to be apart of this deal. She glared and leaned away from him, bringing her knees up closer to her body away from him. Her chest felt tight looking at him, like all the air had left the room. She'd dreamed of seeing him again, but not like this.

"The pardon I took, the cash I declined and swapped for something better, you," Riddick said, unwilling to let her forget she was what he took instead.

"Better tell them you want the money Riddick, I'm not just going to lie down and take it," Jack growled turning as he walked slowly around the bed. "I'm not a little kid anymore, you're no longer the best thing since air."

"I'm sorry I left you behind Jack," Riddick told her as he leaned down, his hands on the bed keeping his balance as he looked her in the eye. "You were so young though, you wouldn't have been safe with me."

Jack refused to accept that apology, she didn't care how sexy he could make his voice sound. He couldn't have been sincere. "I'm not safe with you now either." Jack snapped even though it wasn't an easy revelation. She desperately wanted to fall back into their old routine, but she was not set in front of the wolf with a red hood just for kicks and they both knew it.

Riddick grabbed her leg, pulling her forward to him, pressing his forehead to hers, and breathing her in. "I'm the safest thing in your little world right now Jack." Riddick purred before kissing her cheek. "According to your government you're expendable." He kissed her other cheek. "Imam is sorry, but not sorry enough to beg me not to keep you," Riddick kissed her forehead. "The wife loves you, but not as much as her real daughter." His lips touched the side of her mouth as she slowly started to look defeated, "I'll never let you go Jack."

"Riddick, stop it," Jack whined trying to move away from him, only Riddick's hands were keeping a hold of hers.

"What's wrong Jack? Afraid I'll eat you?" Riddick chuckled nuzzling her temple his hands sliding up to grip her upper arms.

Jack shook her head firmly, afraid that anything she said would be too desperate sounding, too scared sounding. The way Riddick's smirk darkened, became toothy Jack knew he could tell. Worse, she wasn't afraid that he might hurt her...

"No?" Riddick feigned surprise as he looked down at her. He'd gotten use to this new her last night. Jack had gotten soft, became a heavy sleeper. Of course on the skiff, and the transport when she slept on his bed she slept like a rock, but he'd been there. When the holy man made her sleep in a separate bed she shot up at the smallest noise, the smallest movement. Jack almost always ended up next to him at the end of the night no matter what.

"You're not afraid of the wolves either I guess," Riddick hummed watching her, his lips quirked up in a knowing smirk.

"How..." Jack started, unsure, before she started struggling again shaking her head. "No! Just let me go!"

"I dropped in, and you were so upset in your sleep..." Riddick told her, pushing her back on the bed, knees on either side of her like last night. "Different nightmares then I chased off when you were twelve, but you stopped crying just the same." Jack stilled under him, looked very much like she was trying to sink into the bed away from him. Maybe he was coming on too strong after so long, she didn't think this was a game, but being taken away from the only family she had wasn't much of a game in the first place he guessed. Moving her up a little more, gently taking her hands in his and moving them above her head, he kissed her neck before purring, "Tell me was I a wolf?"

Jack clenched her eyes shut, shaking her head.

"Don't lie Jack," Riddick scolded lightly, his voice still holding a hint of that growling purr. "Tell me what you were dreaming about."

"Wolves were chasing me..." Jack said, opening her eyes, trying to keep it vague. It didn't fly Riddick leaned up away from her neck giving her that same look that he gave on the skiff when he wasn't pleased with her. "Th-they were all different shades of grey and black... and" Jack closing her eyes again turning her face off to the side away from him. "And... they had silver eyes. I tripped and fell, and they surrounded me and I couldn't get away..." Jack tried to stop there.

"And then?" Riddick pried kissing her temple.

"There was this one wolf it was really dark, just... lights out black... and he was growling at me worse than the others and so I tried to back away from it but the lighter ones behind me snapped at me... then the darker one bit me when I had to go closer to it... it started growling at the other ones and started licking me and then it wasn't a wolf." Jack tried to get that all out as fast as she could, even hoping he wouldn't catch it all.

Of course he did though.

"It was me," Riddick surmised giving her neck a lazy lick.

"What did you do while I was sleeping?" Jack asked as she pulled her hands from his grip and moved her arms over her eyes.

"Comforted you, held you, got use to the fact you're eighteen," Riddick shrugged even though she was refusing to look at him. "Spent most of my time in cryo, my head is still catching up a bit, to me you only just turned fifteen."

"How is licking my neck while I'm dreaming of wolves comforting?" Jack asked her voice fighting between a growl and a whimper.

"You calmed down." Riddick shrugged.

"You bit me." Jack accused.

"Did I?" Riddick asked cryptically.

"I...I could _feel_ really feel you licking my neck, when I tried to push you away in my dream I could feel teeth on my neck." Jack insisted curling onto her side, wanting to get away.

"You really pushed in your sleep, I used to hold your neck when we were traveling together, you were a violent sleeper," Riddick insisted as he moved so he was sitting on his knees looking down at her.

"You're _teeth_ Riddick, you were holding my neck with your teeth! While I was having a nightmare!" Jack growled moving her arms from over her face to sit up and glare up at him. "This is fucked up Riddick! It's fucked up even for you. You wanted me to be safe and happy, but now you're doing this!"

Riddick growled down at her, leaning so his face was inches from her upturned one. "They are giving you away Jack. No question's asked. I could be raping you right now, in this room, in the house they've shared with you for _six years_, and they wouldn't even _try_ to stop me." She looked away from him at that, her eyes watering. After a second he took her head in his hands one holding either side, and growled, because this thought honestly put him on edge and made him want to rip out each of their righteous throats, "What if it wasn't me? What if they hired some other beast and he wanted you?" She refused to look at him, kept her eyes away from him in the dark room, but tears were wetting her cheeks and his hands. "You can be angry at me Jack, but I left you with someone I thought would keep you protected and safe, I didn't give you away to someone I knew would hurt you."

Jack bit back a sob, feeling crushed. She finally looked up at Riddick. He was an animal, but he had tried to do right by her. Left her in the safest place he could find. Told Imam to keep her safe and happy. Riddick had kept up his end, she wasn't safe anymore and he was back. Jack moved her hands to grip his new shirt, and he let her hug him, his arms cradling her shoulders and the back of her head. Pressing her forehead against his torso, trying to be as close as she could Jack breathed, "You're going to hurt me."

It wasn't a question.

"We'll hurt each other," Riddick told her, unconcerned as he looked down at her fondly. He could understand she was fragile right now. She'd gotten that way a lot after she got angry. Maybe he was drudging up old habits, but she'd get angry and yell, and then she cry and want to cuddle. "Heh," Riddick breathed petting her hair. Even if she got angry at Imam she always wanted to cuddle with him instead of the holy man.

Jack looked up at Riddick as he pulled away, but when he moved and sat down at the head of the bed, his back against the headboard Jack moved up laying into him, her head on his chest. "Do you know the story of Little Red Riding Hood?" Jack asked against his shirt.

"Yeah kid I've heard it," Riddick mumbled watching her cuddle against him, her outfit bright against his. If there had been any doubts this wiped them away. Only Jack could want to bite off his head then cuddle up to him like it'd never happened.

"The version Lajjun was reading Ziza last night? With the metal clothes, the path of pins and the path of needles?" Jack asked holding him tighter.

"And the girl ate her mother while the animals tried to warn her..." Riddick confirmed.

"The same lines were said, and he ate the girl..." Jack ended their shortened version.

"Yeah Jack, what about it?" Riddick asked rubbing her back.

Jack shifted, nuzzled closer. "I would have given you the basket... even if it was for my mother."

"Yeah Jack, I know that," Riddick laughed a little.

Jack knew it was morbid and wrong to say this, but, "I would have eaten the meat and drank the wine, even though I would have known the cat and bird were right... when they told me it was my mother's flesh and blood."

"Why?" Riddick asked grinning wide, and vicious. This one he wanted to hear.

"Because you told me to..." Jack whined. "Because you would have cared enough to feed me and give me drink."

"Would you have gotten in bed, knowing I'd eat you?" Riddick asked his voice low and dark his fingers brushing firmly down her spine. She didn't answer right away and Riddick prompted her, "Jack, answer me."

"E-every night..." Jack answered looking up at him her face flush.

"Good."

* * *

Author's Notes!

Yes Riddick is already here, and he's not exactly the nicest, but he could be worse believe me. I figured we all already knew he was the guest, it was obvious I made no move to hide it really. So I figured I should stop beating around the bush right away.

...yeah I still don't know what to say. I'm not fond of the beginnings of stories. Just because it take so long to set everything up. It's why my last story came out with like the first three chapters already ready to go.

well ... ANYWAY!

Reviews, comments, and questions are all very welcome. I won't bite I promise!


	3. One Long Day

"So are the kid and wife staying holy man?" Riddick asked as he brought Jack into the living room. She seemed reluctant to follow him, but he pulled her down onto the love seat with him anyway. His arm went over her shoulder and Jack shifted around but settled soon enough, looking away from Imam.

"Yes, we don't want to alarm anyone, including Ziza, so it'd be better if they stay here..." Imam answered watching the two carefully.

It was obvious to the pair that he had more to say, but wasn't eager to share. Even Jack who refused to look at him could hear that tone. It almost exactly matched the tone he'd started with before he started whining about Jack sleeping in the same bed as Riddick. It also matched the tone before he lectured her about staying out all night.

"Spit it out holy man," Riddick snapped impatiently, watching the man look over Jack. He'd left her just the way she was. She was still wearing the sari, her hair was a little mussed, but he'd had her over his shoulder. She didn't look any worse for wear. Of course that didn't mean anything to Imam. On their way to New Mecca Riddick had basically done the only innocent thing in his life, sleeping next to the kid while she had nightmares, hadn't thought a dirty thing about it despite being on a bed only just big enough for him to lay on comfortably, and Imam had stared at him like he had his hand down her pants. Of course as the trip wore on a little, as she cuddled more he had to hold some thoughts at bay, but he probably wouldn't have thought of it if the holy man hadn't made such a big deal.

"It would probably be best if you stay in the guest bedroom, while Jack stays in her room," Imam said hesitantly. Things were different now, he felt as though he lost any ability to be able to sway Riddick in these matters, he was no longer preaching about Jack's future, he'd lost that right and he knew it. Still he didn't want to upset his other family members with Riddick moving into Jack's room or Jack moving down to the guest room with Riddick. He also wanted to spare Jack as long as he could by giving her space while she slept.

Jack let out a dry little laugh at that.

Riddick grinned. Now that just wasn't going to fly. Last night was just too much of a taste to not at least sleep nice and close. Had to get Red Riding Hood to take off her hood. Looking down at Jack brushing his fingers affectionately through her hair Riddick hummed, "Don't worry about the innocent eyes of your daughter Imam, or your wife's nerves, I'll just sneak into Jack's room at night, after everyone's in their rooms, and leave before they wake up."

Finally looking at Imam, if only for a moment before eying Riddick, Jack noticed he looked vaguely sick. Well, Imam should have thought about that before he offered his hospitality to a monster along with his first born (albeit adopted) child. Riddick on the other hand wasn't looking too vicious or otherwise. Kind of just his default look, like a beast that's just sitting there, slightly bored but still far too intelligent for the good of anything in the room lower on the food-chain.

"Ziza loves her sister, what if she goes there in the middle of the night to stay with Jack?" Imam tried to reason.

"We'll tell her we're having a sleepover," Jack said, sarcasm dripping, as she continued to watched Riddick.

"Jack...!" Imam admonished though that earned him a look from Riddick. Jack didn't even flinch.

"We're not going to be doing anything less than fifteen feet from my little sister's room," Jack growled meaningfully at Riddick. He grinned at her at that before kissing her forehead like that would appease her. "Riddick." Jack complained.

Riddick sighed kissed the side of her mouth before looking to Imam, "I'm not that depraved," He glanced at Jack, then back, "I won't fuck your daughter in your house holy man."

Now Imam really looked sick.

"I'd prefer if you didn't use that kind of language in my house."

That authoritative voice came from Lajjun as she entered the room. All eyes in the room landed on her, Riddick looked amused, Jack mirrored him to some degree, Imam... well there was little change. Lajjun stopped in front of both animals, well with in arms reach, looked at Riddick like he was a disobedient child and said flat out, "I love Jackie and what Imam allowed to happen is deplorable, worse than you for suggesting it. You, Richard, however left your mark on the girl, and try as we might we couldn't was it off, so now that you have her again she's your responsibility. Stay in her room if you want but Ziza isn't to know, you're certainly not allowed to lay your hands on either of them in an inappropriate way in our home." Things were quiet for a second, and Jack recognized that tone, and had to smile. She wasn't the only one that Lajjun purposely called by their real name anymore, and certainly wasn't the only one to be scolded now.

Riddick grinned, saying, "I understand."

Now if only anyone but Jack knew that just because he understood didn't mean shit about whether he was going to follow the rules or not.

ooo

"Mr. Riddick, how long are you staying," Ziza asked, finally exhausting most of her other questions as she hung from the mans outstretched arm in the living room while Jack laid on the couch watching TV. Some show about Old Earth myths. Greek Gods mostly.

"A week," Riddick answered simply lifting the girl higher making her squeal before bringing her back down closer to the ground.

"Awwww!" Ziza whined, "Why can't you stay longer?"

"Because then he has to move into his new house Ziza," Jack said from the couch her eyes coming to the pair as the commercials started up.

Ziza blew a raspberry at her sister before reluctantly putting her feet on the ground and let go of Riddick's arm. Afterward Ziza looked from Jack to Riddick, and back again before insisting to Jack, "You should try hanging from his arm! It's fun!"

Jack stopped, tried not to glare. Ziza was surprisingly observant for a child of five whether she knew it or not. She was avoiding Riddick so of course Ziza would insist she touch Riddick. While Ziza was in the room Jack had successfully gone a full twenty minutes without touching Riddick, or Big Evil as Jack called him in Ziza's bedtime stories. That child was an instigator and an enabler. "I'm a little big for that Ziza..." Jack tried to weasel out of it.

"No you're not, Riddick tell her!" Ziza insisted bouncing impatiently.

"Come on Jack," Riddick said with a wide knowing grin. He put his arm up bent at the elbow as he turned to face her. He knew that Jack was trying to distance herself from him. If the little girl wanted to help put a stop to that, who was he to complain?

Faltering for a moment Jack didn't move, then she tried to ignore them by looking at the TV but Ziza ran over and turned it off sending the screen back into the ceiling. Sighing and giving her sister a dirty look, and Riddick one too, Jack walked over and stood on her knees lifting her hands up wiggling her fingers for Riddick to bring his arm closer to her. Riddick was too tall for her to be that low to the ground and grab on well.

When he lifted his arm Jack smiled a little at Ziza, and wiggled around a little before looking up at Riddick who flexed a bit lifting her higher. Jack laughed a little and swinging a bit before Ziza ran up and tickled her. Jack laughed louder before letting go. She let herself fall on her knees before she playfully tackled Ziza, sure not to hurt her. The little girl squealed and laughed as Jack pretended to eat her tummy, making "nomming" noises.

Riddick took a seat after that as the two girls rolled around in their dresses. The little girl wore powder pink, Jack a red he was all too familiar with. Eventually Jack feigned defeat letting Ziza crawl onto her stomach laughing, and insisting she beat "little evil" which Riddick thought was an odd nickname for Jack. Still the teen faked her death dramatically as he watched, before she went still. Ziza's eyes widened to epic proportions as Jack held her breath. Riddick tilted his head propping his cheek onto his fist. It was obvious Jack wasn't dead, but he let them play. He understood the concept, when they traveled Jack would pounce on him instigate little playful scuffles, she taught him card games, and word games.

Quickly, a little frantically Ziza put her ear to Jack's heart. It was then that Jack took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around the little girl, and they returned to their tussling.

If Riddick were to be honest with himself, he felt a little jealous of the little girl making Jack smile so widely, and laugh that loudly. Ziza managed to wiggle away from Jack though, and came running to him making him raise an eyebrow as she hid herself against his side, squirming mostly under his arm, laughing at him to get Jack, "Because Jack's being bad!"

Jack stopped short of arm's reach gauging his reaction to the little girl telling him to get her. He looked at her passively which seemed to give her the go-ahead to go after Ziza. Only when she dived Riddick grinned and pulled her to him, making Jack yelp and Ziza giggle. After some squirming and a fair bit of child friendly name calling Jack ended up on her back looking up at Riddick, her head on his thigh nearest Ziza.

The laughing faded out as Jack noticed him watching her closely. Ziza even quieted and even though she was still tucked against Riddick's side she looked tensely between the two of them...

"Dinner!" Lajjun called from the kitchen breaking the tension, at least it did for Ziza who popped up from the couch and skipped off, mostly forgetting about it all. Jack tensed through, seemed stuck somewhere between wanting to leave, and knowing she shouldn't. Jack watched Riddick look down the length of her body. One of his hands was at her hair, the other touched one of her thighs.

The moment seemed to drag on for hours to Jack. It felt like she was trapped, she was starting to feel cagey. She wanted to move, but felt like she couldn't.

"I said..." Lajjun started loud, Imam had been in the kitchen already, talking with her about just what she suspected she was seeing on the couch. The pair was oddly close, sometimes tense, more than often inappropriate. "It's time for dinner," Lajjun continued as if she hadn't seen anything, even though her face said she saw something she wished wasn't happening, before turning back around and walking back into the kitchen and the adjoining dining room.

Jack moved to get up this time but a dark look had her going still, her head falling back to his leg. She didn't understand it. Why couldn't they go get something to eat? Lajjun was a fantastic cook. Jack was hungry from ditching both breakfast and lunch, her only food consisting of not actual food but an energy drink so she didn't completely crash. When nothing seemed to move him Jack glared at him heatedly and wished very much that her voice hadn't been cut from the light system in the house so she could at least have the satisfaction of making his head hurt. Only the glare, or the thought, whichever he caught on to, seemed to be the wrong thing to do (think) because while he looked perfectly at ease, his hand started sliding up her thigh. Everyone was just in the other room! What the hell was he doing?

Squirming Jack tried to sit up this time, her hands trying to stall his as he chuckled. Jack bit her lip and tried to get off the couch but he grabbed the hair at the back of her head and made her arch back down across his lap. "St-op." Jack hissed slightly panicked. When he raised a brow, his fingers tracing so slow up her thigh she couldn't take it Jack clenched her eyes shut breathing desperately, "Please stop..."

His fingers stopped on her upper thigh, before he lifted his hand and placed if firmly back above her knee. She wasn't going to get this lesson right away, no monsters in the room but him to show her who she needed to listen too. Jack fell into following other's rules, forgot he was leader. Her lower lip trembled making him grin as he lowered his head down to where he was holding her's still. "You don't just run off without me Jack," Riddick explained, "You don't just run off without asking Jack."

Jack heard him, and part of her was angry, but part of her wanted to tilt her lips up just a fraction of an inch and feel his against hers. "This is my home..." Jack tried to protest, tried to remind herself she wasn't happy about being a prize.

"It's not mine," Riddick growled, "When we move to that house, after I make sure it's not bugged, you can go where ever you want inside it. I don't trust you here, you know all the hiding spots I haven't had a chance to check out."

Jack swallowed. "Can we just go eat?" Jack didn't want to talk about this, or think about it. It was just easier to do as he said right now.

Riddick let her hair go, moved his hand from her thigh and motioned for her to get up. She shot up off the couch, before forcing herself to walk at a normal speed to the dining room, Riddick behind her.

ooo

Jack slipped into the shower while Ziza had wrangled Riddick into helping Lajjun put her down to bed. He had to be nice to the kid, put up with her, or she'd get suspicious, and dislike him. They both came to the conclusion that if Ziza hated him she'd be more inclined to sleep in Jack's room, to keep her from him. Jack had suggested making Ziza angry but Riddick glared and said he liked the kid and there was no reason to upset her. He said it in that way that insisted he knew what she was up to and she wasn't getting away with it.

She pressed her head to the wall as the water rained down on her. What was she supposed to do? She doubted she could get away from Riddick. He'd find her. He'd know where she was, somehow. Riddick was always like a bloodhound and he had his nose out for her. When they'd been on the transit after their stint on the skiff she'd wandered off while Imam was supposed to be watching her. Apparently when Riddick went back to the room and she wasn't there he went "hunting" for her. His words not hers. He found her a couple minutes later on the entertainment deck looking through the previews of movies you could check out for the TV's in the room.

He snatched her out of the room into a dark corner, and proceeded to tell her how if he wasn't him she'd be dead or worse. Her eyes looked at the creamy tile in front of her as she thought back on that. She'd been so much smaller than him at the time, he'd picked her up and held her roughly against the wall. Her legs had gripped his sides, though they didn't go completely around him. She hadn't been scared, but she remembered feeling like she couldn't breath. How after he'd yelled at her he'd just held her there pressing against her. Jack shivered pushed away from the wall and realized that he'd probably been stopping himself from doing something... wrong.

He had carried her back to the room. Snapped, almost literally with his teeth, at Imam telling him he was supposed to be the responsible one. Jack hit the button to stop the water, she'd washed up before her little trip down memory lane. At the time, she just held on to him, unsure what to do. After he relaxed he put her on the bed next to him…

Jack's eyes went huge once she got out of the shower. A yell caught in her throat, her hand shot back onto the door of the shower so she didn't slip. Riddick was standing there, looking her over appreciatively before she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her. Covered, she glared at him snapping, "That's creepy Riddick! Perverted creepy!"

Riddick frowned at that his eyes moving to her face as she pressed back against the shower. He could clearly remember Jack crying about how she thought it'd be better if people took her for a boy. He remembered how Jack had always showered when him and Imam went to get the food. They'd come back and she'd be clean and out of breath. He remembered holding her close and making her spill how she gutted her stepfather with a kitchen knife when he crawled into her bed, before he could rape her. How her step sisters turned on her to her mother even though he'd been crawling into their beds the nights before.

Still he moved further into the decent sized bathroom, moved right in front of Jack, she was finally out of her red hood. "But Red you said you'd get in bed with the wolf."

Leave it to Riddick to make this a game. To drive her insane. To quote her from when she was distraught and talking about fairytales. "We're not that far into the story Riddick." Jack insisted, even though she knew none of this made sense.

Riddick laughed shadows and his hands took the towel from hers, diligently drying the teen off despite attempts to stop him. "Then do tell, where are we Jack?"

"You need to ask which path I'm going to take..." Jack whimpered as he rubbed the towel over her body, keeping her from covering herself. She gripped at his arms as he paid special attention to her breasts, but it didn't stop him. Worse yet, she couldn't even feel disgusted by what he was doing to her. She gasped. He moved on, the towel brushing down her stomach, one of his hands moved around with a portion of the towel to dry her back the other sliding down to one of her hips before the other followed down to her other hip.

"Pins or needles baby?" Riddick asked pitching his voice low, rumbling as he knelt down. He kissed her stomach making her shiver. His hands went down her sides with the towel before coming back up. He could tell she was aroused, it was in her sent, the way she her face was flush and her body wasn't cooling even though the steam was nearly cleared from the mirror in the bathroom. Her breath came harsh when he rubbed his hands, towel still between them, over her backside. "Jack," He prompted, his lips to her belly again.

"Pi-Pins..." Jack gasped before he pulled her down, her knees buckling. She landed on his lap.

Riddick grinned viciously as he leaned down closer to the naked girl caught between him and the glass door of the shower. She turned her head from him, and Riddick kissed her temple running a hand through her damp hair as he looked at the towel around her waist. "Now how do we move the story along Jack?" Riddick asked tasting the skin of her neck once more with his tongue.

"We got to get to the house..." Jack keened pushing at his chest.

Riddick growled and pulled her closer, putting her right over what she was starting to do to him. "But I already have big eyes Jack, ears, claws, teeth," He snapped his teeth next to her ear. "And you're all ready for bed with me."

Jack pushed at him hard again, even as her hips reacted to his grinding. "No... Riddick stop!" She had to think about what would happen if anyone saw this. What they would think of her? They were her family. What if Ziza saw her and Riddick. What if she thought he was hurting her? What if he really was? Worse, what if she liked it?

Seeing things like that could ruin a kid... Jack knew first hand.

Riddick made an approving noise when her hips bucked again, and she didn't continue telling him to stop. Not long after that though a certain smell hit him and he pulled back to look at her. Salt. She was crying, looking at him like she hated him. He was only making her feel good. "Jack..." He groaned in something akin to pain.

"If you do this I'll hate you," Jack cried pushing his face away from her, stopping him from nuzzling her. "I'll never forgive you."

Did he care?

Riddick licked the palm of one of the hands pushing him away before he leaned away enough to show he'd stop putting his face near her. Her hands fell to cover her chest. Did he care if she hated him? He put a hand over her arms where they were crossed over her chest, keeping them there, and leaned in kissing her cheeks, forehead, a couple of tears near the corners of her eyes, to test the waters. Only she cried harder.

"Fuck!" Riddick growled as he let go of her arms and grabbed her throat instead, this was a turn off. She was lucky she was his Jack. "When we get down this fucking path Jack I'm going to eat you. I won't care how much you cry, or if you hate me." She pulled at his hands even though he wasn't strangling her, just holding her neck. "I'll make you like it, and you know I can make you do anything. You said, every night, and I will take advantage of it."

After that he let go of her throat and Jack gasped for air as he held her against him, because she'd been holding her breath. Jack clung to the front of his shirt, and almost couldn't believe he stopped, even though that's what she wanted. He pulled the towel from her, throwing it to the floor, before standing with her. He licked a couple tears from her face as he walked over to her bed. Once he sat her down Jack grabbed one of the many pillows on her bed holding it to her front. Riddick eyed it with malice for a second before he started to strip down. Boxers were all that was left when he finished and Jack wouldn't look up from the floor.

"Clothes?" Jack asked when he started walking around the bed and settled in. The bed dipped, rocked a little as he made himself comfortable in the middle.

It pleased Riddick more than anything that she asked if she could get dressed. Some things were sinking in, still after that little fit... "No." Riddick ground out firmly.

"What if Ziza..." He cut her off.

"The door is locked," Riddick insisted. "Now lay with me."

Jack held the pillow closer to her front not sure if she could move. She looked over her shoulder at him before looking back in front of her. This wasn't fair. She'd asked, she didn't even know why she asked. Why couldn't she put something on? Damn it! Jack curled up tighter, Riddick was fucking with her head. "Riddick I'm getting dressed."

Riddick watched, brow raised as he leaned up on his elbows to get a good look at her. When she didn't move he sat up all the way, shifting closer, and ran a hand down her back, "Fine Jack, you do that, you'll still be naked in the morning." Her form shivered under his hand. When she didn't move right away Riddick slipped his arm around her and had to remember he'd only been here for a day. A lot had happened, a lot was still happening, and it was all on Jack. Jack was the sacrificial lamb. Jack was the virgin staked out for the dragon.

Maybe if he showed some mercy...

He grinned kissed her shoulder and said, "Grab my shirt off the floor, you can sleep in that." He pulled his arm from around her taking the pillow with him. "I'll let you wear that."

Jack shot up and grabbed it. As she slipped in on she tried to do up the buttons, but her hands were shaking too much, the sleeves were too long and getting in the way. Then suddenly, Riddick was standing pressed up against her back reaching down, doing up the buttons for her one at a time starting from the bottom. She felt like a child, but then she didn't, because no child could feel like this much of a wreck. Except that she knew that wasn't true.

Once he was finished Riddick didn't pull away from her though. Jack leaned back into him for support, and knew that not one thing about today wasn't seriously messed up. She knew that what happened in the bathroom wasn't right. Jack knew that the memory she had in the bathroom just added to it. She hated that she'd cried in front of him. Jack felt shaky and tired all of a sudden, and it was then that Jack realized that Riddick was holding her up, that she wasn't standing on her own anymore.

"Whoa Jack, come on, I got you," Riddick breathed pulling her up into his arms. She clung to him even after he got them settled onto the bed. He held an arm around her as she buried herself against his side. One of her arms hugged him across his stomach, her other arm was tucked between them. He could feel her breath on his skin, her warm body next to his.

"Riddick, I... are..." Jack couldn't think of what she wanted to say. It was like her mind went from a mile a minute to snail speed.

"Just go to sleep Jack," Riddick told her as he pet her hair, it was still damp. He wondered about that for a second, but let it go as she pressed closer to him. Jack nuzzled him, but when he peeked down at her she looked a little far away. Turning onto his side he held her closer and rubbed her back.

Jack looked up at him tiredly before she leaned her forehead against his chest. She wanted to know what was going to happen. She wanted to know why her. She wanted to know why he had to pick her. Why couldn't he want someone else? She'd just been a kid to him before. Jack's head was spinning, and she was so finished with this day.

She never got to feel his skin against hers before, not like this. He was so warm.

Her breathing evened out soon enough and Riddick moved them around a bit more. He moved her up so he could look at her face without looking down. His thumbs traced over her eyebrows, down her cheeks, committing her to memory. Pressing his forehead to hers he grinned as she squirmed a little before her lips started seeking his out in her sleep.

So very affectionate in her sleep.

He gave her a small kiss, then she seemed to settle...

* * *

AUTHORS NOTES!

Yes this chapter took a bit to get out. I was trying to put thought in to it, and juggle work. I hope it's good, and doesn't seem too scattered. If it is let me know. I'll try to be better about the next chapter, I'm still kind of trying to get in to this one. It'll get better. Jack might seem a little... weepy... prone to mood swings... off... in this chapter, but think about it. Wouldn't you feel torn too in her situation? The last two chapters were all one day, and Riddick is abruptly and quickly integrating back into her life. Riddick is a lot more animal this time around, not having much reason to interact with his human side. That and Jack is no longer a kid, and therefor doesn't really need kid-gloves, or so he feels.

Review Replies:

**Saismaat:** Thank you!

**xKeriax:** Thank you, I'm glad you like it.

**jadeg5:** Thank you, I'm glad you like it so much. Yeah I'm pretty proud of my Riddick in this one, so I'm glad someone else likes him. And I'm going to post the full story at the bottom of the page for everyone else who hasn't heard the version I'm referencing. It'll come up more in the story, I figure that by the end of the fic everyone could piece it together, but for the sake of everyone being on the same page, yeah I'm going to write it out for yous. And yush I'm continuing, just got a lot of work this week, and I recently began roleplaying again. It's just going to take a bit to get out the chapters for both my stories.

**Guest:** Yeah I was trying to go for a more primal Riddick, I'm going to try and keep it consistant. Thank you for reading.

**Emily:** Thank you so much, I'm glad you like the story!

* * *

**_Disclaimer: _**_The below version of Red Riding Hood is not mine, and belongs to it's original writer. I make no profit from it._

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who hadn't seen her mother in seven years. She was forced to dressin in iron clothes and was told: "When you wear out your clothes, you can go back to your mother."

The girl rubbed her clothes on the wall trying desperately to tear them. When they had finally been torn, she got some milk, and bread, and a little cheese and butter, and set out for her mother's house.

In the wood she met a wolf who asked what she was carrying.

Milk and bread and a little cheese and butter." she answered.

When the wolf asked for some, the girl said, "No," adding that it was a present for her mother...

So the wolf asked whether she'd be taking the path of pins or the path of needles.

When the girl said that she was going to take the path of pins, the wolf hurried off down the path of needles and ate up the little girls mother.

The girl finally reached her mother's house, "Mother, open the door," she said.

"Push on the door, it's not locked..." answered the wolf.

But the door still wouldn't open, so the girl crept through a hole into the house.

"I'm very hungry, mother." she said.

"There is some meat in the cupboard," answered the wolf.

It was the flesh of the girls mother, killed by the wolf.

A big cat jumped onto the cupboard and said: "That's your mother's flesh you're eating."

"Mother... There's a cat on the cupboard, and it's saying that I'm eating your flesh."

"That's a lie, of course. Throw a show at the cat." said the wolf.

The little girl having eaten the meat was thirsty...

"Mother, I'm thirsty..." she said.

"Drink some whine from the jar." answered the wolf.

When she did a little bird came flying and perched on the chimney stack. "That's your mother's blood you're drinking. You're drinking your mother's blood," it said.

"Mother, there's a bird perched on the chimney stack, and it's saying that I'm drinking your blood."

"Throw your cloak at the bird."

Having eaten the meat and drunken the blood, the little girl turned to her mother and said: "Mother I'm feeling very sleepy."

"Come over here and get some rest."

The girl undressed and approached the bed where her mother was laying in a strange position with a hood over her head.

"Mother... What big ears you have," she said.

"All the better to hear you with my dear." said the wolf.

"Mother... What big eyes you have."

"All the better to see you with my dear."

"Mother... What big claws you have."

"All the better to hold you with my dear."

"Mother... what big teeth you have."

...And then the wolf ate up Little Red Riding Hood.


	4. Hide and Seek

"JACK!"

Said girl jolted up hearing her little sister's voice yell for her from the other side of the door while she banged on it. She went to jump up to get the door but a steal band kept her on the bed, her head bounced off the wall behind the head of her bed making her yelp, and then groan.

"Jack? Are you okay? I want to stay with you until breakfast!" Ziza called as as knocked on the door again.

"I'm fine Ziza! One second!" Jack called back as she began to panic. Of course there was no steal band of a seatbelt in her bed, it was Riddick. Looking down Jack realized she was still in his shirt. "Damn it Riddick get up..." Jack hissed at him as she pushed at him. He growled at her, his silver eyes finding her in the dim room. "I will shiv you if you don't hide now."

"Jack! Come on!" Ziza whined.

Imam and Lajjun must have had their door shut. Thank god for sound proofing, or they'd know what was up instantly. Of course they could just be ignoring what was happening...

Riddick let go of Jack and watched as she picked up his pants and threw them at him. She wasn't wearing anything under his shirt. Grumbling he pulled from her bed and into his pants, catching his shirt as it was thrown at him too. She had on underwear before he could look again, and she had her back to him as she pulled on a shirt that was too small for her. Jack was a whirlwind, and he wished that she'd be the groggy little kid she use to be when they had to get up. He went for the window, only Jack was grabbing him and pulling him towards her closet.

"Jaaaaack!"

"I have to go to the bathroom hold on!" Jack yelled back rudely.

"I'm not hiding in your closet like some teenaged boyfriend you're not supposed to have in here," Riddick insisted under his breath as Ziza "oh'ed" loudly on the other side of her door. Only Jack shoved clothes out of the way pushed her hand up into the corner of the closet, under the shelving at the top. He heard a latch give and a door popped open inward. Servants passage.

"Up is into the attic space, down is into the closet in your room, pick one and go now," Jack hissed at him moving out of the way as she walked over to the door. She hated giving that up to Riddick, because it meant she wouldn't be able to hide in the house from him as easily, but it was between that and Riddick climbing out her window, and making their early rising neighbors think she was a slut as well as a hooligan. She would liked to be thought of as fondly as they could manage when Riddick hauled her off. That and the last thing Imam and Lajjun needed to worry about was fielding questions about a thug climbing out their daughter's window.

Jack waited until she heard the door in the closet click before she unlocked hers and opened it on the little girl who attached herself around her middle the best she could. "It's early kid..." Jack yawned, feigning sleepiness.

"W-ell I would have just came in quietly, but you locked the door," Ziza huffed as she looked around Jack, inspecting the room. "Are you hiding boys in here?"

"No," Jack said defensively as she lifted Ziza into her arms and took her over to the bed.

"Mr. Riddick would be mad if you were," Ziza said in a childishly sly voice, as she snuggled into the pillows after Jack put her on the bed.

Jack laid on Riddick's side of the bed, worried Ziza would catch onto his scent... If she could do that. Maybe... "Wait... whoa, back up Zizi. What are you talking about?" Jack asked as she leaned up on her elbows and looked down at her sister.

"Mama said you and Mr. Riddick had a special re...lay...shun...ship," Ziza took her time pronouncing the word the way her mother had, so she knew she was saying it right, "I asked if it was like her and Papa, and she didn't answer, so of course that means yes!" Ziza bounced up and moved closer to Jack snuggling against her side after the older girl flopped back. "You two just aren't married yet, but I still bet he'd be upset if you were hiding boys up here!"

Jack put her hands over her face and dreaded the fact that Riddick was probably eavesdropping on the other side of the hidden door in the closet. "Ziiiiii..." Jack groaned, "I don't think you understand what you're saying."

"Yes I do!" Ziza said, in all her five year old outrage. "You really like Mr. Riddick, and I bet he likes you! You two are going to be together like Mama and Papa!"

"I love you Zizi..." Jack breathed, not moving her hands from her face, and certainly not dignifying her childish babble by replying to it.

"Mr. Riddick's the woodcutter," Ziza insisted with a pout.

Jack snorted, and moved her hands from her face to eye the top of her sister's head skeptically. "What are you talking about?"

"The version of Little Red Riding Hood my teacher reads has a happy ending, not like Mama's book. In the end the woodcutter saves Little Red Riding Hood," Ziza insisted as she sat up again and glared at Jack. "Nikki asked if Little Red Riding Hood and the woodcutter got married, and the teacher said that Little Red Riding Hood was too little to get married, but said that if she was older they might have. You're old enough to marry Mr. Riddick so you can!"

Oh god even a little kid was comparing her life to fables!

"Zizi, I don't feel well..." Jack groaned rolling onto her side away from Ziza. She felt physically fine, but she couldn't go through another day being the girl in the red hood. Riddick was the wolf not the woodcutter, which didn't make it any better. Ziza really didn't understand, and Jack couldn't make her understand, couldn't even try. She couldn't do that to her sister.

Unfortunately Ziza jumped up crawling quickly from the bed yelling, "I'm going to go get Mr. Riddick! He can kiss you and make you all better!"

Great now he was the prince too...

"I'm gonna die..." Jack breathed as she moved her pillows around trying to hide under them. Going as far as to pull one of the blankets over her head.

It took a couple minutes but Ziza brought Riddick, and it seemed she brought Lajjun too. The little girl was going a mile a minute, saying that Jack was sick, and only Riddick could make her better.

"Baby, I think Jackie's just sleepy, I heard you getting all worked up from the kitchen." Lajjun tried to explain as she eyed the familiar lump on Jack's bed. It usually signaled that Jack didn't want to go to school and either needed to be pulled from bed or called out. As it were in place of school there was reality and Riddick. Neither probably looked appetizing for the girl, and Lajjun couldn't make an excuse and call her out from life. "You know Jackie isn't a morning person Ziza baby, you can't go getting her all riled up this early."

"She wasn't a morning person when she was twelve either," Riddick imparted, amused, as he moved further into the room wearing some charcoal grey cargo's and a black tee. Back then Jack whined and complained, and more to his liking, clung to him until after breakfast, which he usually carried her to. It was the only meal they ate in the cafeteria on the transit they'd gotten on. The company's going rate for crash survivors was a free trip and a free breakfast. Riddick looked to Lajjun who was holding Ziza before he pulled the blanket from over Jack's head. "Come on Jack, you really sick?"

Of course he'd been in the closet until Ziza ran off to get him, and he knew what was up, but he had to keep up appearances.

"Go away."

"That's definitely not sick Jackie," Lajjun insisted as she kissed Ziza's head. "Come on, we'll finish making breakfast while Richard makes her better."

"By giving her kisses?" Ziza asked straining to look in Jack's room for as long as she could, not noticing that her mother didn't answer.

"You could have just told her the truth," Riddick said with a teeth showing smirk as he sat on the bed beside her. "You said yesterday that you wanted me to make her angry."

"Never..." Jack growled. Looking up at him Jack glared. "Riddick, she can never know. It would break her heart that you're really a monster."Jack dug her fingernails into the unfortunate pillow underneath her head as she glared at it. "You're her favorite hero it would crush her if she found out that you're just another wolf."

Riddick looked up at the ceiling thinking about this before he looked down, his hand moving to rest on the back of her neck. She tensed at first, but after a few seconds of him massaging the skin she slumped. "Why would she think you were hiding boys up here?" Riddick asked, deciding to pick at that piece of information first.

Jack tried to tense again, but even the halfhearted massage had turned her to putty. "I don't know..." Jack, to her horror, moaned into the pillow she'd previously been clawing.

"Don't lie Jack," Riddick insisted as he pushed some pillows from over her and knelt over her lower back. His hand worked on her shoulders and neck, once more paying special attention to her spine. She squirmed under him her face buried against her pillow. "Tell me Jack," He coaxed, leaning down closer as he molded her.

"I had a boyfriend once... right before high school started" Jack whimpered. Riddick's hands stilled on her shoulders and Jack didn't want to know what he was thinking.

Riddick was furious. Some little boy had touched Jack? They were caught in her room? "They can't catch me doing you, but you didn't care if they caught you doing some kid?" Riddick growled his hands tightening on her shoulders.

"N-no," Jack whined in pain, he was hurting her now. "I- it, it didn't work out, he... he snuck in. Imam caught me trying to make him leave..." She couldn't yell or everyone would come to see what was happening. Jack felt like she couldn't ask him to stop, or she'd yell it, frantic to be out of his grasp. "Th-they didn't believe me, they thought... it doesn't matter, Riddick I didn't do anything with him."

"Are you sure?" Riddick asked not lightening up yet.

"Yes... I br- it hurt's please stop!" Jack whined into her pillow to muffle it.

Riddick loosened his grip, and leaned down over her, his arm steadying himself above her head. "Now tell me what you were going to say." Riddick purred against her neck.

Jack shivered, she didn't want his teeth near her spine if he was angry with her. "I broke it off an hour into our second date because it didn't feel right. I didn't like him, and dating him wasn't going to change that. I... I told him he wasn't tough enough." Jack whimpered as she tried to push herself closer to the mattress away from him. "I told him he couldn't make me date him so the next night he tried... and when they caught him in here I just wanted him to leave, I told them I'd changed my mind and I wanted him to leave, but I always got the feeling they didn't believe me."

"Promise Jack?" Riddick asked his hands slipping under her stomach.

Jack nodded frantically. "Promise, we barely even kissed."

"Good girl," Riddick breathed moving his face to nuzzle her shoulder. Maybe it was unrealistic to believe she wouldn't have had a boyfriend or two. Didn't mean he had to like it.

ooo

Riddick's fingers paused over the keyboard of the computer he was using in Imam's study. He was researching these Necro things he was supposed to help fight. He'd left Jack playing with her sister, after laying down some ground rules, including that she wasn't allowed to leave the house without him. Now, though, he couldn't hear Jack playing with Ziza in the little girls room anymore. Jack's "guy" voice hadn't been heard for a while, and now Ziza was holding the dolls conversations by herself. Nothing useful was coming from the internet, just a shit load of speculation, nothing that seemed to actually come from the people themselves. Sick of it Riddick shut down the computer and turned his attention to finding the wayward girl.

Slipping on his signature welders goggles he walked down the hall intent on seeing if Ziza would sell out her sister. When he got to the open door the little girl looked up at him and grinned wide saying, "Jack told me to tell you she's playing hide and seek with you."

"She in the house?" Riddick asked with a bit of a grin as he leaned against the doorway.

Ziza made the dolls dance around and smiled big. "She said she couldn't tell me," Ziza said trying to sound disinterested, something Riddick suspected she was slowly picking up from Jack, but failing. "She said it wouldn't be any fun if you knew where to look."

"Okay, Ziza," Riddick chuckled before walking off and around the corner to go into Jack's room. He looked around, her scent was all over the place so scenting her out would be impossible, but he figured this is where she'd start. This is were she'd decide what she'd need if she was leaving the house or what she'd want if she was going to hide for any period of time from him. Walking over to the the closet he noticed the clothes weren't pushed to the side anymore. His eyes scanned the room, the window was closed, nothing looked out of place, but then again she was hiding she hadn't been kidnapped. Nothing would be out of place.

Moving into the closet he pushed his goggles onto his forehead before pushing her clothes aside to hit the large square button at the top, the door popped open a bit and he pushed it open the rest of the way. He walked in closing it behind him. Jack's scent was all over the place, but it had been before. In the new house it would be easier to hunt her down for a while. He was looking forward to that. Up or Down? Riddick looked down the stairs then up the other way. Up first, if only because he hadn't had a chance to check it out.

He walked up the steps to find a door, and behind it a spacious attic, there were a few boxes a desk No hiding spaces from what he could tell. He walked in further. The whole place smelt heavily of dust, he had the overwhelming erg to snort and shake this head to rid himself of the smell. Moving further into the room offered a little recess towards the back of the attic. He moved further into the attic to look into the cut out in the room, there were some pull down stairs, but no Jack. He moved over to what he expected was some decorative grating for the room below. It looked down into Imam's study... the one he'd just been in. So she wouldn't have come up here. Jack would have know that he would have caught on to her looking at him. One shift in the air current and he would have caught her scent in the room below.

Riddick looked up this time, there were some beams, but no Jack. Good. He went back to the door and decided that down was the next best bet. Even if she would have heard him on the stairs, Jack was pretty single minded, if she thought he wouldn't check his own room she might just stay there... A few moments later he was down the steps, but, no Jack. He opened the door into his own closet and walked out, it was mostly empty, because he hadn't really unpacked. A quick glance around told him Jack wasn't in here either. He growled, and pushed his goggles back into place.

Of course Jack couldn't have told the little one where she was going because kid were prone to spilling things when faced with tickling... The wife though... He walked out of his room and through the open doorway into the dining room, then through another into the kitchen. Lajjun was cooking, actually cooking something. Even though there was a perfectly working food prep no more than four feet from her. Riddick rolled his eyes before deciding to ask, "Do you know if Jack left the house?"

Lajjun looked over her should a bit before moving the vegetables off the burner and turning it off. "No, but that doesn't mean she didn't leave. She tends to use the windows sometimes."

"If she was in the house where would she hide?" Riddick asked as he leaned his hip against the island counter where meat was waiting to be cooked. The woman had known Jack longer than her own daughter, longer than he had personally been around the kid, so he figured she could have valuable information on the girl.

"The attic?" Lajjun asked more than suggested. She suspected he already knew about it.

"I checked." Riddick confirmed.

"Jack use to hide around the house all the time, she'll crawl out from wherever she is when she's ready," Lajjun shrugged as she took the pan with the vegetables and poured them over the pasta next to the meat. The large bowel went into a door on the food prep to be kept warm. "I suggest just waiting her out."

"Crawl?" Riddick questioned. Waiting wasn't high on his option list. Went right under tearing apart the house and right above threatening someone in the house so she'd come out to save them.

"She use to hide under the beds, for some reason. I asked her once about it, she said usually she was just napping. There's a closet under the stairs, all you have to do is push on the panel it'll pop open, I didn't hear her go in there, but she use to do her homework in there in when she first started school. The rest of the house was too stimulating for her in the beginning. When those places and the attic are clear though... it really only leaves the roof and her not being home all together." Lajjun explained her arms crossed over her upper stomach. She suspected that Jack would have preferred her not sharing those things, but she had to give the man something. That and if she held back too much he'd get suspicious of her.

"She's probably just being difficult, she'll come out eventually," Lajjun said putting the meat on the burner.

"Obviously." Riddick grumbled as he stood up straight and left the kitchen. Of course she was hiding just to bother him. As it was closest he checked the closet under the stairs. Nothing. He ran his hand along the inside, just to make sure she wasn't hiding in some hidden crawl space. Nothing. He eyed the hall to the guest room for a moment before deciding he would have caught her scent if she was laying under the bed in there. He went up the steps looked down the hall to were Ziza's room, and then the study was. He doubted the kid would have been able to hold her tongue if Jack was hiding in her room. He looked across the outcropping that showed the parlor to where he could see the door to Imam and Lajjun's room, he doubted she'd be in there even though the holy man was out doing something this afternoon. He was going to miss lunch.

Riddick turned down the short hallway overlooking the stairs and walked into Jack's bedroom. He eyed her bed critically, pillows, blanket, the bed skirt that hid the underside of the bed. Would she really be under there?

Riddick walked over and knelt down before lifting the fabric hiding the under side of the bed. Only Jack wasn't there. He growled and looked around again taking the goggle's off and shoving them in his pocket. The kid was fucking with him, and it wasn't acceptable. This left the roof, or her being completely away from the house altogether. Standing up Riddick turned and sat down on her bed before moving to lay back making himself comfortable. As it turned waiting her out climbed up the list...

Downstairs Jack crawled right out of a hidden crawl space that most houses would have kept a safe in. Imam actually kept their most valuable things that they'd keep in a safe at the bank in a safety deposit box. She'd actually been in the stairway when Riddick thankfully picked up instead of down, and after he went into the attic she hid in there. It was a tighter squeeze than when she was thirteen though. Cracking her back Jack walked into the kitchen. "Thanks Lajjun..." Jack breathed.

"He's going to be mad at you Jackie," Lajjun insisted looking Jack over for a moment.

"I'm aware," Jack sighed looking down at her feet

"Well as long as you know what you're getting yourself into." Lajjun said looking back at the food.

"Yeah I know what I'm doing..." Jack said, still keeping her voice low. "I... I just want some space..."

"I'm sorry Jackie..." Lajjun apologized quietly as she looked back at Jack. "You... could run away. New Mecca is a large place, he'd never find you if you did it right."

"He'll always find me eventually," Jack mumbled as she looked at the ground, "And never let him hear you helping me like that. He's... he's not a good person Lajjun." Jack didn't wait for a reply and instead walked out of the kitchen, heading to the stairs and up them.

Might as well reveal herself before he really got to angry with her and she didn't get lunch.

Jack got to her doorway before he snagged her, pulling her into the room and shutting the door behind her. Her back found the wall next to the door roughly as Riddick molded himself to her front, he pressed his face to her hair, only let up for a second to lift her up into his arms before pushing her back into the wall. Jack got the distinct feeling that he was drinking her in. She was a little worried, a little nervous that he wasn't just yelling at her or questioning her about where she'd been. One arm was under her rear, the other cradled the back of her head, her knees gripped his sides her hands gripped the sides of his shirt, unsure what else to do with them.

The silence didn't last long...

"Where were you?" He growled against her hair, before moving to nuzzle her cheek.

"Hiding," Jack answered vaguely, because even if he was nuzzling her, being affectionate, it didn't exactly seem like he was being nice.

"Where?" Riddick coaxed, kissing the side of her mouth encouragingly.

"You're being obsessive Riddick..." Jack breathed turning her head away from him, which is pretty much all she could do to avoid looking at him. He growled at her then, and she pressed back, only to remember that his hand was behind her head when he tighten his fingers into her hair.

"You think I'm being obsessive Jack?" Riddick chuckled against her neck, "Jack I could show you obsessive, this isn't it." She shivered against him and Riddick kissed her cheek before asking again slowly, "Now where were you hiding?"

"Outside," Jack said the first thing to come to mind, just so she'd be less likely to smell nervous, for him to scent out the lie. Only nervous set in not seconds later when she realized that was breaking his rule. One of them, he hadn't said that hiding in and of itself was a rule, but being outside was a big no-no and had actually be more then one of the rules. One, three, and five to be exact

"Lying to me is bad Jack," Riddick scolded as he leaned back. She was nervous, but she glared, and when Jack opened her mouth, despite the rule she would be admitting to breaking, was about to say she wasn't lying. He moved his hand from her hair and placed it over her mouth before she could get in more trouble, "You don't smell like you've been outside Jack, baby. Try again." He moved his hand back to cup the back of her skull lightly.

So that's why he'd been rubbing up against her... or at least one of the reasons, Jack guessed. Pick another spot, Jack urged herself. "I was in a cupboard..." It didn't sound as sure as she'd like, but hopefully he'd take it as her not really wanting to say.

Riddick gave this one pause. Lajjun had been cooking, all he could smell was vegetables and the uncooked meat, if Jack was hiding in the cupboard right in front of Lajjun the older woman's perfume could have masked it just that much more, especially with Jack's scent all over the place anyway. He looked at Jack, waiting to see if silence would make her change her story, but it seemed like she knew his game. Riddick growled, not sure if he should believe her.

He didn't.

"No more hiding Jack, if you hide you better believe that when I find you, because I will, I'll make you regret it. You were somewhere downstairs and if you make the mistake of hiding again, eventually you'd have to come out." Riddick ground out. He wasn't going to play hide and seek with her in this house. Her scent was everywhere and obviously there were places to hide that he just wasn't aware of yet.

Jack nodded when he set out the new rule, and then he finally pulled them from the wall. He didn't set her down though. "Riddick?" Jack asked uncertainly trying to bring him out of his thoughts.

Riddick looked to her, shifted his arms around and let her on her feet. He kept her pressed up against him but she was on the ground. It's not specifically what she wanted though and he could tell. "What?" He prompted as he pushed his thoughts away and on a base level enjoyed her warmth.

"I..." Jack had originally wanted him to just stop staring into space, but suddenly wanted answers. Like where this was going? What was going to happen? Jack opened her mouth to question him, but then stopped."I don't know, never mind." Jack breathed trying to pull back from him when he raised a brow.

"What?" Riddick pressed, one large hand cupping the back of her neck.

"I... want to know what's going to happen to me." Jack breathed looking in the general region of his mouth. Anywhere but those clouded mirror eyes. Maybe she should have just let it go, told him she forgot what she was going to ask.

"When?" Riddick asked as he contemplated picking her back up. He didn't understand the impulse right away, but copped it up to wanting to feel her. He resisted, just looked down at her.

"After we leave here..." Jack answered wishing he'd let her go.

"You're going to stay with me," Riddick said, not quite understanding. He moved her back from him a bit then. He wasn't thinking straight.

Jack sighed, that's not what she meant, she knew she was going to stay with him. She knew that when they did get out of here he was... they were going to...Not important. "Nevermind," Jack mumbled not really wanting to get into it anymore. She didn't want to know.

Riddick frowned and really thought about it as he looked down at her. She wanted to know what was going to happen to her. "I don't read minds Jack," Riddick told her frustrated after a couple of moments, when he couldn't figure it out. "Spit out what you really mean, after we leave you know you're staying with me."

"I know that I'm going to you, I meant..." Jack looked away from him before shaking her head, "It doesn't matter Riddick, forget about it."

"No, tell me," Riddick insisted glaring at her.

"I meant what..."

"Lunch everyone!" Lajjun yelled from the stairs.

Jack tried to run off but Riddick kept her shoulders in his hands. "No Jack, remember you don't run off without asking me. You don't run off unless I say you can." Riddick growled keeping her still even though she started to struggle against him. However as hard as she was fighting was how abruptly she stopped and glared, hurt, at him.

"That's what I mean!" Jack yelled at him even though she heard someone knock on the door. "I can't leave the house! I can't even go anywhere in the house unless you say I can!" The knocking sounded again. "What am I a prisoner?"

That's what she meant. Jack could see more and more of her freedom being taken from her. Riddick got it now. "You're mine, just mine, every bit _mine_, Jack." Riddick told her before turning his attention to the more concerned knocking on the door. He let go of Jack and moved to the door himself, because Jack seemed unwilling to move. When he swung open the door he came face to face with Lajjun. "Yes?" He asked a bit impatiently when she didn't spit out what she wanted. This whole scheduled meal thing was nice and all, especially since he didn't have to cook it, but meals always seemed to be happening when he was trying to make a point with Jack.

"Lunch." Lajjun insisted, slightly nervous by the way he was staring her down.

"I heard," Riddick said taking up most of the doorway, stopping Jack from even thinking she had a chance to get passed him, and just ignore him. "Me and Jack are in the middle of something here."

Lajjun didn't say anything right then. She didn't know what she could say. She knew better than to ask what they were in the middle of, just in case. Of course Riddick thought of something to say first.

"You should really just stop trying to get us to come to meals if we don't come right away," Riddick explained with a dark grin. "You can't stop me, and one of these times you might not want to walk in on what's happening." With that he closed the door on her and turned back to Jack who looked caught between being in awe of him and appalled by him.

Jack never dreamed of someone treating Lajjun like that. Lajjun hadn't accepted her mouth, she'd told off Riddick in the beginning. She didn't even try to open the door again. Jack stepped back when Riddick started towards her, because suddenly she didn't like where this was going.

"Now Jack, my Jack," Riddick cooed dangerously as he back her further to the wall, "You know you're not a slave, you haven't been chipped they didn't hand over one of those bracelets. So don't get all up in arms about it. You're just mine."

Jack's head lowered as her back hit her wall. His. Jack held her breath as he moved closer to her pressing up against her once more. He touched his thumb to her lips as his hand cupped her cheek and she forced herself to breath slow. She didn't say anything even though she knew he was waiting for something. She kept her eyes away from his face.

"You'll understand eventually Jack," Riddick insisted before pressing his lips to the cheek he wasn't holding.

ooo

That night Riddick glared at Imam as he handed over the blueprints. He'd picked them up before leaving the office at his request. Hadn't handed them over until after dinner, before bed. Buying Jack precious time to shower. He'd heard the water running as Imam led him passed the girl's room. She was his, he had every right to watch her, look at her, but no the whole house was conspired against him. Even the little one, though she didn't know it.

"Why didn't you give these up earlier, you've been home for hours?" Riddick questioned, even though he already knew the answer.

"I wasn't thinking Mr. Riddick, I apologize for my carelessness. As it is though, they're very accurate, the show the attic space, the safe-room, the nook for a safe, if you wish to have one, and the three servants passages." Imam said as he took a seat and watched Riddick unfold the three papers.

"Does you're house have these things Imam?" Riddick asked, glossing over the fact that Imam had been purposefully careless in order to buy Jack time to shower.

"We don't have a safe-room, because the master bedroom can be locked down well enough. The security is in that room also. We only have one servants passage, that you already know about," Imam said with a bit of a frown. He'd heard about Jack hiding from Riddick, Ziza said they were playing hide and seek.

"What about the safe?" Riddick pressed finding where there was room for one in the house he was being given. It was located in a divide between the kitchen and the living room.

"We don't have one," Imam offered. When Riddick glared though he admitted, "It's in the living room."

Damn right he there was a spot for it. So that's were Jack hid, tight spot but she was small enough and determined enough. Riddick grinned down at the the papers as he pulled the one for the attic to the top of the pile. The only way into the attic in his soon to be home was through a staircase from the master bedroom. Which meant she'd have to go through their room to get up there to hide. "You warned them not to bug the house right Imam? If I find anything, and you know I will anything they put in there, I'm out."

"I did, they're taking it all out tonight," Imam told him as he steepled his hands in front of him. "I don't understand why you'd care though, as long as you stay you'll be pardoned of everything, even anything you do here."

"Jack, I don't want them watching Jack," Riddick said glaring at Imam briefly. "Because you're right I don't care what they might catch me doing, but I don't want any security guard jerking off to Jack in a dark room somewhere. It bothers me just as much as I'm sure it'd bother you. That, and I don't want them charging Jack for "helping" me do anything illegal." That and what he wanted between him and Jack was for him and Jack only. He'd be the only one to watch the girl unravel, the only one to watch her come. She was his, and he had no intention of sharing her anymore than he had to. Things like that, he didn't have to share and he'd be damned if anyone would make him by installing some kind of camera in his home.

Imam seemed to be with him on this, and Riddick rolled up the papers and tucked them back into the cylinder the holy man brought them home in. "Night Holy Man." Riddick said deviously as he headed out of the study, and back to Jack's room. Once inside he shut the door quietly, with Lajjun busy giving Ziza her own bath neither of them would know that he walked into Jack's room instead of going downstairs to his own.

The case was propped up next to the door Riddick frowned noticing the sound of running water was gone. Pulling his goggles off he tossed them onto Jack's desk in the corner of the room. He listened to them slide and land against the wall as he made his way lazily over to the bathroom. It was then the door opened on it's own, before he touched the handle, and Jack stared up at him wide eyed, not expecting him.

"So, baby, were you hiding in a safe place today?" Riddick asked taking in the pajamas she was wearing, shorts and a tee both a light grey from what he could tell. He gave her a wickedly pleased look when she started to back away from him. "So you were in the house, huh, Jack?"

"I needed space," Jack insisted trying to be strong, stopping herself from moving any farther away, even though she was still in arms reach.

"Space?" Riddick asked as he reached out and pulled her back in front of him.

Jack didn't say anything at first but when his grip tightened on her arm she glared away from him saying, her voice controlled, "You walked in on me while I was showering, you almost made me sleep naked in the same bed as you... Riddick I need space. I'm not use to you anymore."

Riddick smirked down at her before letting her go and walking over to her bed sitting down. "You want space Jack?"

"I just said that Riddick," Jack said, frustrated, not walking out of the bathroom.

"But you're oh-so affectionate in your sleep Jack," Riddick chuckled as he watched her shift her weight, watching him.

"I have no control over that," Jack glared as she took a step towards him. "Snuggling while I'm out cold doesn't mean anything, I need space."

"Well you're not getting any," Riddick insisted as he reached down onto the floor next to Jack bed snagging a remote. After pressing the power a TV screen slid down from the ceiling while he situated himself onto the bed. Pressing a few more buttons had the last movie she watched playing from the beginning, and by then Jack was next to the bed glowering at him.

"Why can't you give me space Riddick?" Jack demanded.

"I'm not going to help you break my rules Jack," Riddick insisted patting the spot on the bed next to him.

"Which rule is it against that we sleep in different rooms in the same house?" Jack asked ignoring him silently telling her to lay down with him.

"No hiding from me Jack," Riddick insisted before turning his eyes back to the horror movie being set up on the screen. "You want space, so you can hide."

Jack bit her lip, and shook her head. Looking around her room Jack wanted to be able to turn the lights on higher than low power. Her heart sank as she looked back at Riddick. Why couldn't he do this one thing for her? Even if it was just one night. He looked back at her, but Jack just turned around and walked over the her desk and sitting down. The screen was situated right in front of the bed against the wall next to the door, in the corner Jack had her desk. As she sat down she found Riddick's goggles against the wall next to device the holoscreen for her computer came out of.

Reaching over with one hand as she lowered her head onto the others arm she ran her fingers over them. Her mind wandered back to T2, but Jack pushed the hero Riddick from her mind. She needed space. She wanted space. Her eyes moved over to her window. Riddick couldn't watch her every second... so what if it was against one of his rules. She'd exhausted all hiding places in the house that would work...

Tomorrow she'd just have to leave the house...

Jack tensed as she felt Riddick behind her. He leaned over her, kissed the top of her hair before he snagged the goggles. "Come to bed Jack, watch the movie... Don't sleep in the chair tonight." Riddick said making his voice sweet and smooth, even though he wanted to growl and drag her into the bed and undress her. He told himself to be slow tonight, gentle. Soften her up a bit. Get whatever she was thinking out of her mind before she did something she'd regret. With effort he pulled himself away, leaving her there, and returned to the bed.

Riddick watched her look back at him for a moment. Her eyes went to the window for a second, he barely noticed it, but he did notice it, but she stood up and moved over to the bed crawling over him and onto the other side. She didn't press up against him, and he could see her thinking, but he didn't put an arm around her, he could wait for her to drift off. He was giving as much as he was willing to offer, and she better be happy with it.

Jack barely noticed though, she was too busy plotting her escape to realize that Riddick didn't have her molded against his side. She just felt off... didn't know it was because no one was touching her.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES!

Well that took long enough didn't it? My apologies ladies and gents... it just took a while to get out. I've been busy, I've been out and about, and all that stuff. This chapter is a lovely set up to the next one where there will be a bit of Jack induced drama. It'll be good fun, I'm sure everyone will enjoy it.

Also, I've taken to updating my profile with my progress, so if anyone's wondering what's going on if it's taking long with chapters you can check there, I'll try to be regular with it.

Review Replies:

**Cana**: Wow I don't think I've ever got quite that reaction to my fanfiction... well once, but it was one of my friends and she squeed for a completely different reason... BUT ANYWAY! Thank you, I'm glad you like this so much, I hope I continue to impress. Yeah, I've never been a fan of fluffy Riddick... It just doesn't seem right. The tears though, yeah, real desperate tears were the only way I figured he could be moved when it came to something he wanted, and only tears from Jack would stop him... Mostly because Jack would cry just to try and get out of something.

**Lornfaer**: I'm glad you're enjoying my fic. Yeah... Jack, if she's capable of being happy and not just running amuck, it's probably with Riddick. But yeah life for her is gonna suck for a bit. I thought it'd be unrealistic for him to be gone for that long and then Jack just jump back into his arms viewing him as the hero again, especially with the whole payment thing. Thank you again.

**annacat**: Thank you, thank you! I'm glad you like him, while reading through my reviews I'm becoming very proud of him, I just wish I knew how I was doing it. O.o

**ABC Cullen**: Thank you! ^_^

**SheDevil85**: Thanks!

**AlinaLotus**: Thank you, I'm happy mine's a good read. Yup it's going to be a Jack(Kyra)/Riddick fic.

**defrobot**: Hint taken. *nods*


	5. The Raver and the Bear

Jack didn't know how she did it...

But she did.

She was actually out of the house. She was in the clubbing and shopping district of down town New Mecca. Granted it was a pretty shady place, it was also Jack's kind of place. New Mecca had always been too straight and narrow for Jack, right from the beginning, so when she found this street, this lonely street on the bad side of town, Jack reveled in it. Best part about it was that Jack never told any of her family about it, and she doubted that Imam would allow Riddick to question her friends. As far as Lajjun and Imam knew she disappeared off to "Allah knows where" and they decidedly left it at that. They didn't want to know as long as she kept her phone with her.

Jack didn't have her phone with her this time though.

With the government apparently treating Riddick like he was heaven sent, she wasn't taking any chances that they'd track her with something as typical as her cellphone. No. Riddick would have to work a hell of a lot harder than that to find her. Hanging a left down an alley Jack smiled to herself as she headed for a back entrance . She had an in to the Panic Room, and she might as well abuse it when she needed to lay low, because well she'd been told to abuse it all she liked by the owner and his wife. Besides tonight was techno night at the ol' Panic room, and she might as well enjoy.

After all Jack wasn't stupid enough to think Riddick wouldn't find her eventually.

Pressing the bell next to the door she came to at the back of the alley Jack grinned after a minute when she was faced with Sienna, your typical candy-raver/cyber punk with black hair with bubble gum pink, and cotton-candy blue strips here and there. She wore goggles on her head, not like Riddick's, but ones Sienna actually used with her coms, she wore them on her head because she couldn't actually see through the bright blue lens unless they were on. Her clothes consisted of a lot of mesh, a neon blue mesh shirt over a black bikini top. She wore a black skirt and two different thigh highs, one blue mesh like her shirt, the other pink and black, both actually different lengths. Jack couldn't help but admiring the woman for being so out there, especially when she was technically a wanted woman. She was a hacker, but while her alias was known the girl herself was, as far as everyone but a select few new, merely a bartender and waitress at the Panic Room.

Oh and the owners wife.

"Can I come in, or do I have to stay outside all night?" Jack asked putting her hands on her hips after taking the girl in. Jack herself was actually not in her clubbing attire. She was wearing khaki cargoes and a white shirt, not anything special... yet.

"As long as you get out of those god awful clothes Jack," Sienna insisted pointing the girl inside. "Honestly if you know you're going to come to the club dress appropriately."

Sienna though in a very unconventional way was like a mother hen. Her children were often (with the exception of Jack) people older than her little twenty-one year old self. She fussed, and spoiled, and even scolded accordingly. All with the boss', her husband's, blessing. Papa Bear, just Bear to those who weren't Jack and Sienna, loved Jack too so she got it double. It just put her off at first that he'd been fifteen years older than Sienna, who at the time they met, had actually been the age of their age difference. That and Bear had originally been introduced as "That bastard Nikolai" due to the argument they'd been having earlier that night.

The age difference, and the age Sienna had been when they started dating really wasn't a subject that was broached often. Neither was how they met, even Jack didn't know that story.

"Yes Mama," Jack laughed as Sienna shooed her over to the employee break room where there were lockers, one belonging to Jack even though she didn't work there.

"You better be yes Mama'ing me, because I've told you those cargoes do nothing for your little figure!" Sienna laughed as she closed the door behind them. "How are you gonna find a man looking like you still wanna dress as a little boy?"

Jack's mood abruptly dropped as she pressed her thumb to the pad on the locker. It opened with a click as she bit her lip and Sienna started to stare at her suspiciously. "Should I wear the skirt or the..." Jack trailed off as Sienna crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot expectantly. "You're right I like the black pants with the white red stitching more... skirt's just asking to be groped."

"Jack, what's going on?" Sienna asked, she would not beat around the bush. When Jack wouldn't say, and instead just started pulling out of her khakis and shimmying hip hugging pants with the chains crisscrossing from in the back from back pocket to opposite front pocket Sienna guessed, "Are you afraid you're never going to meet the right guy again?"

"No..." Jack said as she rubbed her hands through her hair almost violently. Did she tell Sienna about Riddick, or hope that he didn't really know her that well and didn't find her and destroy the place if she tried to run...

"Then what is it Jack, don't make me drag it out of you," Sienna said as she sat on a table, one leg crossed over the other while she adjusted her pigtails.

Jack concentrated really hard on picking out the shirt she always wore with these pants. It was only then that she realized how often she wore red here. Even if she didn't like the color, she didn't think about it on the clothes Sienna helped her pick out. The shirt was lighter than blood red but still, and actually Jack couldn't much call it a shirt because really it looked like an oversized bandana... If this didn't yell at Riddick come and get me, she didn't know what would... She suddenly didn't want to put it on.

"Helion Prime to Jack, come in Jack!" Sienna yelled now right next to her friend. Jack was spacing out, but now she jolted and looked at her with wide scared eyes. Sienna knew it couldn't have been anything good.

"Someone I knew once... he came back, and... and... He... Ima... I... It's really complicated..." Jack couldn't tell her.

Sienna wasn't accepting it though, even as Jack turned her back to her and started switching tops, ditching her bra. "Jack, I swear to god if you don't tell me what's going on right now I'm locking you away until you do." Sienna threatened.

Jack put the shirt on backwards first so she could tie a secure knot before she pulled in into place, the point of the shirt coming to about her navel as she worried her lower lip. When she was finished she turned around and took a deep breath. She knew Sienna would do it. She was head strong and stubborn... It was never a good ending when they clashed. They were currently tied for wins. "Remember I told you I was in that crash before me and Imam got to Helion, and the guy who saved me just left a couple days before we met?"

"Yeah, you still refuse to tell me his name." Sienna said as she ushered Jack over to the table and had her sit in one of the chairs. She stood behind the eighteen year old and brushed her fingers through her short hair, messing it slightly.

"Riddick... Richard B. Riddick," Jack breathed out as Sienna walked over to one of the lockers.

Sienna stopped in her tracks. "Riddick? _The_ Riddick, but he died in the crash."

"No. He lived, we told everyone he was Johns, but Johns died on the planet." Jack said looking at the table. "He left me here to keep me safe, but Imam got him to come back... I... The government wants him to fight if the Necromongers come." Sienna being the brilliant hacker she was already knew about the very real possibility. "They gave him a pardon... for everything... they were going to give him a lump sum of cash, along with paychecks so he could afford to live here. He turned down the lump sum...for..."

The candy-raver watched with horror written over her face as Jack struggled to say one simple word she could read from her lips. _Me._ "Oh baby, no..." She breathed as she rushed back over in a couple long strides. She hugged Jack to her stomach, and pet her hair as Jack leaned into her. "No, no, no... you can stay with me and Nikolai, you know Papa Bear loves you, he'd let you stay with us. They'll never find you."

"Yes _he_ will..." Jack mumbled against her mesh covered stomach. Lajjun had never even hugged her to comfort her. Imam didn't do anything to stop Riddick, didn't even plead for her life. Sure Lajjun suggested she run away, but Sienna was offering her a place to go, food to eat, clothes to wear. Lajjun would have, maybe, helped her pack a bag. Ziza was her flesh, not Jack. "Riddick will find me, he always will, I can feel it, it's just a matter of time..."

"We can try Jack, come on let's go talk to Bear," Sienna said pulling Jack to her feet, forgetting about getting product for her hair. It didn't seem important anymore. "At least we can do is tell the bouncers to not let him in the club."

"It'll just confirm I'm here..." Jack said as she let Sienna take her hand and lead her out of the back hallway of the club. They went through a door and into the loud booming techno of the first floor of the club. She felt like a child, but once more she felt too defeated to do something about it, about anything. Telling it to Sienna made it worse, because now she wasn't hiding from him intending to go back and be smug about her escape, she was really running away.

Once they weaved across the dance floor Sienna brought her up onto the second floor, VIP section, around the corner of a the glass wall that looked down into the main floor and stopped any drunk VIPs from taking a nosedive. They snaked passed a few people from a private party on the substantially smaller VIP dance floor and over to Bears office. Sienna didn't even bother to knock, though Jack knew that even Sienna was supposed to knock. When they were inside the older girl let go of her hand and walked over to the desk, Jack took the time to close the door.

"Nikolai they sold her, they fucking sold her!" Sienna finally yelled from whatever rushed whispering had been happening in the moments before.

"Jack, come here," Bear said waving the girl over to come closer to the desk. "Jack, baby, what's going on, Sienna's not making sense, Riddick's dead. You told me yourself."

"We all lied. He's alive..." Jack said looking off to the side away from the well dressed man sitting behind a very nicely varnished wooden desk. She was actually kind of insulted for Riddick that people believed he'd die so easily.

"You're his slave?" Bear asked tapping his fingers on his desk looking pensive.

"Not technically, unless Riddick lied and just hasn't tagged me yet I'm not lawfully his slave..." Jack thought about what she said for a second before going on, "He... doesn't really need all that... Riddick is capable of keeping me if he wants to, just incidents like this wouldn't happen..." Did she think Riddick lied and he had the paperwork and bracelet somewhere? Maybe. She wasn't sure anymore. Jack looked back to Bear, he had dark hair, a little grey was peppering his temples already, but he didn't do anything about it. He was well built, not like Riddick, but he was obviously a strong man under that perfectly tailored suit. He and Sienna looked nothing alike, how they ever got together was a mystery though.

For a moment they looked at each other. Jack wondered what Bear was thinking about, what he was seeing. He looked so thoughtful, yes like he was trying to plan ahead, but also like he was trying to remember something. Jack didn't understand and didn't wish to right now. Eventually the silence was broken, after his eyes flicked off to the side probably where Sienna was glaring meaningfully because it's where Jack's gaze landed for a second.

"You know you're welcome to stay with me and Sienna," Bear told her as he rubbed his cheek and looked at the holo-screen for his com. His was set up so people could see through the other side, instead exotic fish swam through the air.

"Bear... I'm sorry..." Jack breathed before Sienna hugged her again, insisting she didn't have to be.

"Why Jack?" He asked looking back to the girl with a raised brow.

"For anything he might do... you don't have to let me stay Papa Bear, it'll just cause you trouble in the end..." Jack said as she gave in and leaned into Sienna. She didn't like this low swing she'd just gotten into. She'd been so happy to be free.

Bear smiled... grinned, at that and Jack bit her lip. "No Jack, it's fine," Bear said waving his hand dismissively as a chuckle touched his lips. "I'll handle anything Riddick does. Why don't you go dance, or relax up here in one of the VIP rooms. Order anything you like."

"Yeah, Jack let's go get you those cheese fries you like so much," Sienna said ushering her out of the room. "Then tonight you'll come with me and Bear to our place, we'll set you up in the guest room and everything, you'll love it."

Jack couldn't shake the sinking feeling she had but she smiled and agreed as Sienna shut the door behind them. The noise filtered back in and Jack remembered that Bear's office was soundproof. Helpful for when he had to get work done she guessed...

ooo

Riddick was going to kill her.

No he wouldn't... but he was going to make sure she never did this again. He'd scare her, hurt her, maybe even scar her, and when he was done she'd know who was boss. She wouldn't have a doubt about who was in charge, he'd make sure of it.

First he had to find the girl. He'd gotten out of the shower a couple of hours ago, when the sun was still up, and she was gone. He knew he should have just forced her into the shower with him. Now the sun was completely gone, and decidedly in a bad mood he was stalking the seedier part of New Mecca suspecting that Jack wouldn't be hiding too close to her home and would want to take advantage of her time away from him.

He'd given her space, not touching her until she finally fell asleep, he'd left while she was still sleeping and came back with Ziza like he hadn't been in her room all night. Hell he'd even refrained from touching her too much throughout the day, instead of touching her every chance he got.

Ungrateful child.

Riddick slipped into the crowd only to growl and move back into the alley as he reached into his cargoes. Cellphones weren't his thing but he'd taken Jack's in case she suddenly realized she'd done something wrong and went home. Imam had strict orders to call him the second he saw her. He looked at the screen and it read Papa Bear, curious, and doubting it was Imam, Riddick answered the phone.

"Hello Riddick."

Riddick's eyes narrowed behind his welder's goggles at the wall as he disappeared deeper into the shadows of the alley. "Nikolai." Riddick acknowledged not sure how to take this, unsure if Jack was in danger or just being held for safe keeping. He hadn't seen the man since he was in his early twenties, there was no telling what he was like now.

"I take it your missing something?" Bear asked patronizingly, his grin ringing through the phone. It'd been such a long time since they chatted, there was no reason to rush right through it. When all he received was a grunt, he chuckled saying, "Well don't worry Riddick, you don't have to kill me, she's perfectly safe. I'm not hurting her, and as we speak she's probably finishing off an order of cheese fries before going to dance."

"I might not kill you if you tell me where she is," Riddick growled into the phone. How she got caught up with Nikolai the bear, he didn't know, but he would find out.

"Now Riddick, that is no way to talk to your old teacher," Bear said despite the fact that it made it sound like an angry animal was on the other side of the phone. "I'm concerned about what you intend to do to Jack. My own girl is very attached to the teen. I can't have you treating Jack like she's a bad slave."

"Right now that's exactly what she's being," Riddick insisted as he stalked back and forth in the dark recess of the alley he was in. "You're one to talk anyway, you're a slave trader."

"It's been a long time Riddick, I'm a night club owner now." Bear informed Riddick as he tapped his fingers on the desk. "I still know you though. You're very possessive of your toys."

"Good, then if you still know that you know if you don't hand her over I will kill you," Riddick said as he stopped pacing, and starting thinking through different plans. It wouldn't be too hard to find Bear if he owned one of the clubs, and when he found the bastard he'd find Jack.

"I will, but you have to realize Jack's wild, and you're not even trying to train her right are you? Otherwise she wouldn't be in my club," Bear said as he stood up and started to pace himself.

"Nikolai the longer you keep her from me the more I'm going to take it out on her, you said you didn't want me to treat her like a bad slave didn't you?" Riddick insisted as he headed back towards the mouth of the alley, he'd find the right place regardless.

Bear stopped and frowned at that. Riddick hadn't been particularly cruel to most of the slaves. He learned to train them, but largely didn't work much in it unless he took an interest in one. He'd get bored before a week was out though. Even as a teenager Riddick had been more of a guard. He was more the intimidation that kept the slaves from running away or trying to hide around the ship when they were on runs. No girl wanted Riddick to hunt them down and punish them, it was the boys who were idiots and Riddick usually beat them senseless. Obviously Riddick had taken an interest in Jack more than the other girls he'd come in contact with on the slave ship. "You can't punish her in front of my girl."

"That's fine, I intend to punish her in private." Riddick assured his old teacher, employer, and buddy.

"We're in the Panic Room, come and see me on the second floor before you drag her off." Bear said before hanging up and tossing the phone onto the desk as he sat down. Sienna was going to kill him, but Jack had to respect Riddick or she wasn't going to make it. He wouldn't hide Jack from Riddick, more that he couldn't if he tried.

ooo

Riddick made it to the Panic room in minutes, he walked in the front doors passed the line, no problem. The bouncer nodded, and Riddick faintly remembered him and nodded back as he disappeared inside. Looking around he could see Bear's influence. Sex inspired music, dark colors, dim pulsing light, stainless steel. People crowded the dance floor as Riddick moved around it. He thought about hunting around for Jack, but decided to avoid the temptation and headed for the stairs. At the top the bouncer there looked up from his desk but looked back at the hand-held com he was holding as he pointed around the corner of the glass wall silent directions.

Heading right for the door Riddick looked towards the glass wall that looked down on the main floor of the club. He didn't immediately see Jack, so he kept moving. Music played up here too but it was dulled, up here was more intimate and with the closed doors along the wall he was walking next to he could guess why. He walked passed a couple of girls and to the office door that was opening. Riddick walked right in passed the man, before looking him over as he walked to sit back behind his desk.

"You're looking good Riddick," Bear said waving to a seat for him to take. Of course Riddick stood though.

"You're looking very young for a man of sixty something," Riddick retorted as he moved to stand right in front of the desk.

"Cryo does wonders, traveled a lot to get here, spent most of it under," Bear said with a light shrug, of all the reasons he could have gotten his nickname it was actually because of his "hibernation" habit. "But of course because you spend cryo awake you can't appreciate it like I can."

"Exactly, now do tell why I'm up here and not hunting down my runaway," Riddick demanded.

"Is she your legal slave, or just yours because you say so?" Bear asked clasping his hands on the desk.

"They're in the process of getting me the kit, I haven't told her because I thought it would spur this, her running away." Riddick said motioning around them. "Even so, she'd be mine anyway, I pulled her off that planet my damn self and that makes her mine. Life debt. Now why am I here?"

Just because he liked Jack Bear wanted to say that she'd just been a kid when that happened, but he'd pulled kids off the street himself clothed, bathed, and fed them only to give them eight hours of sleep and then inform them he owned their asses. He had planned to do as much to Riddick, make him a personal fighter. At the time Riddick had been wet behind the ears, the easy money he'd been promising had convinced sixteen year old, but Bear ended up liking Riddick. He'd been too sharp to make into a mindless animal, so he taught him the trade instead, made him part of the crew.

So Bear sighed, wished Riddick would sit down, and said, "I've spent the last six years thinking you were dead Riddick, would it kill you to give Jack a little more time while we catch up?" Bear raised a brow. When it came to the runaways on the ship Riddick had such keen sent that he could hunt them down right away especially as they weren't allowed out of one of the two area's of the ship, Bear often slowed him down. Taught him that if you caught them right away, didn't let their hope build before crushing it, they'd just keep trying. Now Riddick did the same thing he'd done then, growled out a sigh, sat down, and let him talk at him.

Bear leaned back as he talked a bit, "I went into cryo twice since we've parted. The first time I got out you were wanted for killing your team and going AWOL during the Wailing Wars. You went into Butcher's bay the day I went back under. Woke up and you had escaped not only Butcher's Bay but you'd gotten out of Ursa Luna, Slam fucking City, less then twenty-four hours after being admitted." He had to grin at that. Now he leaned across the table and nodded at Riddick's goggles saying, "I heard you got an eyeshine in Butcher's Bay. It true?"

Riddick grinned, looked around a bit to judge the lighting. Probably a little bright, but he lifted the goggles onto his forehead. "I paid 20 Menthol KOOLs for the shine, had it checked out by a real doctor when I got out, said it was nearly perfect. Fixed up some blurring." Riddick offered before lowering the goggles back into place.

"Amazing," Bear admitted as he sat back again, "Anyway before we knew it you were caught again, being transported, when the ship disappeared I figured you highjacked it. Later though I find Sienna showing up with this kid from the crash of the ship you were on, told me you were dead."

"It was the cover, Jack wouldn't have sold me out because she adored me before I left her here, Imam was too scared to sell me out until he thought the sky was gonna fall," Riddick said waving his hand, he wanted to go get Jack. Bear seemed to be all for this shitty delayed gratification bull, always had been, and all that changed with Riddick was that he didn't fidget anymore. Something caught his attention though. "Who's Sienna?"

"She was a runaway slave that stowed away on the last ship I was on. I set it up with her owner and bought her." Bear said as he stood from his desk.

"She's your slave?" Riddick asked, just to be sure as he followed Bear out the door and over the the glass wall.

"No Riddick, Sienna is my wife now," Bear said as he looked for the familiar head of black, pink, and blue. He told her to stay on the dance floor where he could see them from the VIP section. "I didn't buy her to be a slave for me anyway. I thought she was interesting, and after I bought her and then released her... well she had no where to go, she kind of just stuck around and started earning her keep. I was just getting this place up and running she started helping out, as much as a kid her age could."

Riddick scanned the crowd as he listened. "So how obscenely younger then you is she?"

Bear let out a chuckle as he spotted the two girls, "With cryo-deduction fifteen years."

"Does she know you're actually about thirty years older than your ID says?" Riddick asked, fishing for information while he looked for Jack.

"Yes Riddick she does, so don't go getting cheeky," Bear insisted before putting his finger to the glass, "She's the girl eighty feet from the stairs with black hair, pigtails, blue and pink stripes in it. Jack's right in front of her." When Riddick didn't move right away Bear asked, "Would you like me to get them up here, or if you prefer we could go down there and dance with them."

Riddick glared at Jack for a moment, now that he saw her he damned himself for missing the red shirt she had on now, the man sandwiching her between himself and Sienna. He wanted to snap the guys neck. More than that he wanted to push Jack up against the nearest wall and do her. "Let's go down," Riddick growled.

"Let me go first, don't want you snapping the patron's neck," Bear said as he walked towards the stairs.

Downstairs Jack was going through the motions, she was positive that this was going to end badly. She could imagine how Riddick would look when he found her and he wouldn't be happy. If he found her here the man behind her would die, in seconds, no one but her and Sienna would notice, and that would just be it. Actually when the man moved away Jack panicked for a second, only the body that replaced him wasn't Riddick, it was only Bear. He squeezed her hips, kissed the top of her head as he moved with her for a moment, and Sienna smiled wide and squeezed closer to her front. Jack leaned her head back against Bears shoulder as he and Sienna kissed. She was not unused to this, actually she felt really loved between the two. Sienna kissed her cheek, and Bear kissed her other before moving to be behind Sienna.

It was then that Jack stopped moving, because she knew the new person pressed up against her. Jack knew the familiar growl in her ear, the way his hands gripped her hips making her move again. Looking Jack saw Bear restraining Sienna, but no one was saying anything. Turning her head as she moved on her own, Jack frowned as Riddick kissed her temple before growling against her ear, "Hi Jack." Only it was so much more sinister and vicious than those two words alone could hint.

She couldn't help but think, _What's he going to do?_

Then the world sped back up to the point it was almost going too fast, Sienna's arms looped around her neck as they were moved against each other. Riddick had a hand on one of her hips, the other on Sienna's while Bear mirrored him. They moved together and it was like no one else was in the club. Jack's hand's moved, one gripped one of Sienna's arms the other held onto Riddick's arm. His lips found her neck and face, and Jack gasped, as their little group jolted. Bear hooked his finger in her belt loop, pulling her and in turn Riddick closer, smashing Sienna's back against his front.

_Why isn't he yelling, dragging me away? _This whole situation confused her.

In the dim light Jack could tell Sienna was blushing only because they were so close, and knew that she was pink as well. Bear was working at Sienna's neck, and Jack had to wonder if he and Riddick had planned this or if they were just somehow in sync with each other. It was then her mind spun.

Did Bear and Riddick know each other?

Did Bear tell Riddick where she was, or was he just doing damage control now that Riddick had caught her?

Turning her head a bit Jack found Riddick kissing the side of her mouth, she wished so hard that he wasn't wearing his goggles so she could judge how much trouble she was in. She wasn't distracted by the wish for long though, because hands moved up her sides, and Sienna yelped out a small gasp. Jack shivered as fingers brushed over her skin, as Riddick's hand slipped under the triangle of fabric to trance his fingers over her stomach as her and Sienna were pulled inches apart. Bear's hand rubbed her side comfortingly, and looking down she saw Bear's hand rising dangerously high on Sienna's torso while Riddick rubbed the other girl's side.

Her eyes finally leaving the little group Jack found that while the majority of people were caught up in their own little world, some were looking at them. Jack felt embarrassment flare up inside her and turned her head trying to tell Riddick to stop, but his hand found her breast under her shirt and his lips slanted over hers fully. As her and Sienna were pressed back together Jack could feel the back of Bear's hand on her other breast as he played with Sienna's. She could barely hear the other girl gasping for Bear to stop as Riddick's tongue roughly dominated hers.

When he finally let them come up for air Jack felt like her entire body was on fire, like the music was too loud and too low at the same time. Sienna's hands slipped from around her and then they were both being pulled up the stairs. Riddick had her wrist in his grip and she was too dazed to pull away and try and run. She felt like she'd just been in the middle of doing something really dirty in the middle of a dance floor. Then they were in a VIP room Riddick had her shoved up against a wall.

"Did you think you'd get away?" Riddick growled darkly grabbing her chin and making her look at him. Only she looked really far away.

Jack felt really far away. She looked at him and then she looked over his should finding Bear. She felt kind of like she was in shock. Like her mind was trying to process too many things at once and just gave up.

"Riddick let her down," Bear said gently. "It's obvious Jack's not herself right now, let her calm down."

Jack was so very surprised when Riddick actually listened, well kind of. He brought her away from the wall, but soon she was in his lap on the very plush couch. She looked up at him nervously, before glancing at the other two in the room. Sienna was still flush, but she seemed like she was just flustered and now suspicious of Riddick. Bear... he was obviously in on this somehow. Jack didn't know what to do, and she knew she was in trouble, but she didn't know what would make it worse, or if she could make it better. She was just too scared to make this any worse than it must have been.

"Jack..." Bear said her name softly, captured her attention as he sat on the second couch with Sienna. "You've already put together that me and Riddick know each other yes?" When Jack nodded he looked to Sienna who grudgingly nodded along. "We're old friends, from back when I was in the slave trade."

Wrong thing to say, Jack tried once more to get away from Riddick. Only air left her lungs as her back hit the couch and Sienna yelled for Riddick to stop. Opening her eyes Jack found Riddick holding her to the couch straddling her stomach. She whimpered up at him, "You said!"

"Bear has nothing to do with it, and after this you're lucky I didn't get you a collar on my way here," Riddick growled down at her. When the room seemed to still, besides the cyberpunk's fidgeting, Riddick insisted, "Continue Bear."

"I told him where you were," Bear insisted before glaring Sienna into silence before she could start. She might not have been his slave but he didn't tolerate insolence when he wasn't in the mood, no one was an exception at those times. "I told him because we both know that the longer you hid from him the angrier he'd be."

"I was going to go back..." Jack whimpered up at Riddick flinching as Riddick pulled his goggles off to glare at her.

"You shouldn't have left in the first place! I gave you space, you ungrateful brat!" Riddick yelled at her only to glare at Bear when he clicked his tongue at him. _Don't loose your cool_. Rule number something or another in Bear's school. Sometimes it was unavoidable, but slaves didn't learn shit if you didn't teach them, and if all you did was yell at them and scare them they'd just break. Riddick wasn't even sure he wanted Jack to be a slave, he certainly didn't want to break her so much she was just a shell.

"Now then Jack, you are Riddick's slave," Bear informed her making Riddick visibly tense. "He's waiting on the kit, he's going to tag you himself. You can't run off on him, if you do, you can't come here or I'll just tell him where you are."

Riddick watched as Jack went from upset, to angry, and back to sad. He didn't particularly like the way she looked at him like he'd betrayed her, but right now he didn't care about her feelings on the subject. She was being all around difficult, and if she wasn't going to be good, he wasn't going to give her slack. After this little running away stunt she sure as hell wasn't getting anymore space either.

"And Riddick, I taught you better than this," Bear said waving around. "You're obviously doing something wrong if Jack was so shocked to see you that she just let us feel her up in the middle of the dance floor."

Riddick lifted up a bit as Jack squirmed around onto her stomach, before settling a fair amount of his weight back onto her. "I haven't been teaching her Nikolai," Riddick insisted as he rubbed Jack's back, eying the knot keeping her shirt in place. "It's a little hard to teach Jack in general, teaching her in the holy man's house where he has a child is nearly impossible."

"You're just going to let him do this to Jack?" Sienna asked, outraged, as she watched Riddick rub Jack's shuddering back.

"I don't have a lot of say in this," Bear said with a shrug. "I can't make Riddick give up Jack, I've never been able to make Riddick do much of anything that he didn't want to." Relaxing back into the couch Bear looked Riddick and Jack over for a moment before smiling saying, "I think Jack will be fine though, I've seen Riddick work with slaves, and if he didn't care he'd be half way through showing her what happens to slaves who run away."

Riddick smirked down at Jack as she tensed up. She was smart enough to know that he'd be teaching her something tonight. Looking to the other two in the thankfully dim room Riddick asked the eccentric girl, "Do you know what happens to slaves who run away?"

Sienna looked from Riddick with disgust before looking pleadingly at Bear. Only Bear waved his hand in a "continue motion" saying, "Why don't you tell her Riddick, so she doesn't help Jack do something stupid."

"Mmh well slaves who ran away from Bear's crew were stripped down, because they couldn't be trusted to stay where they were supposed to otherwise." Riddick leaned down and kissed Jack's shoulder, "They were whipped, the skin was repaired without painkillers, and they were dumped in a room by themselves. Every time they tried to leave the room someone went in and punished them however they wanted. Beating, whipped, tortured, raped, whatever that person wanted to do. It was free range until they got it, until they didn't try to leave for as long as we thought it took them until they got it." Sienna looked sick, Jack was tense under him as he talked against her skin. "You know why I'm letting you know Jack?" She shook her head and he grinned. "Because I know you're stubborn enough that if you don't understand you'll keep trying to get away, you'll keep trying to hide even if you don't try to leave the room."

"You're sick." Sienna insisted as she scooted closer to Bear.

Riddick laughed, "Who do you think taught me?"

Sienna moved away from Bear after that, glaring at her husband.

"Riddick..." Jack whined as he leaned up away from her.

"Yes Jack?" Riddick acknowledged as he watched her cover her head with her hands.

"I don't want to go back." Jack said into the couch cushion. When she felt his hand against the back of her neck, painfully squeezing she corrected herself quickly, rushing over her words, "No. Not-not that way, I-I-I meant I-I di-d-did-n't..." Jack stopped stammering as Riddick hushed her, moved off of her and knelt next to the couch near her head.

"Slow down and explain yourself," Bear told her calmly as he watched Riddick kiss her temple.

"I don't..." Jack gasped trying to breath. Riddick was making her a nervous wreck. Turning her head she found him real close and looking at her. "I... don't want... to... go back... to Imam's house..." She said slowly, so she didn't stutter.

"The house isn't done baby," Riddick breathed brushing his thumb up and down her forehead. "They haven't gotten the appliances into the house yet." He was still pissed at her, but he couldn't do much about it right now, even if he took her back to Imam's he couldn't punish her like he wanted. He kissed Jack's face, all over. Calming her down the best he could.

"You can stay with us!" Sienna said suddenly as she stood up.

"If they do you can't interfere Sienna," Bear said looking up at his wife. He knew she wanted to protect Jack, he wanted to protect the girl too but they couldn't interfere. Jack seemed so nervous, scared, even as she accepted the affection Riddick gave her he could still tell she was waiting for what he'd do to her. Riddick and Jack both needed her to be punished and it to be over with, or it'd just eat away at Jack, and just irritate Riddick.

Sienna debated for a second as Jack sat up and Riddick stood. "Fine." She agreed grudgingly as she watched the man brush his fingers through Jack's hair. She glared at Bear, "But if he breaks our baby I will never forgive you."

Riddick caught Jack looking at him pleadingly. That was the kind of talk Jack deserved, even he knew it. Even Riddick, with his detached view of humanity knew Jack deserved at least futile threats. She hadn't even gotten that from her "real" family. "Sure we can stay with your friends." Riddick said before putting his goggles back on.

ooo

"Riddick, please... stop..." Jack whimpered as Riddick pulled her out of her clothes. The room was pitch black, soundproof, she could scream and scream and no one would hear her. She didn't even know what Riddick was going to do. The second the door shut Riddick shut the lights and stopped talking. "Please Riddick..." Jack keened as he kissed her thigh before pulling her pants down. She thought her underwear would join all her other clothes, but he left the boyshorts in tact. That was it though...

Riddick looked at his prize from his knees in front of her. She was still trying to desperately see, but it was too dark in the room, she was using her arms to cover her chest. He kissed the outside of her hip and it was then he got a real reaction, she started pushing at him to get away. Letting her go, Riddick watched as she backed away till she hit the wall behind her. She slid down the wall trying to look around for him, only she couldn't see.

Jack didn't like being in this complete blackness. She couldn't see anything, not even outlines. Closing her eyes she put her forehead to her knees wishing he'd just hit her or something. Just so it'd all be over. Only nothing happened.

She couldn't take this. She was so much stronger than this, but he wasn't acting like she thought he would. He wasn't doing _anything_. Glaring out into the dark Jack growled. He was torturing her. He was doing this all on purpose. He took her clothes just to torture her. Even left her one defense to torture her, because the little scrap of fabric wasn't going to stop Riddick from doing anything he wanted.

"Why can't you just punish me and get it over with?" Jack snapped as she pressed back against the wall more. When Riddick didn't say anything Jack clenched her jaw. She wanted to throw things, and yell but she couldn't. Jack couldn't throw a fit like this. "Come on Riddick, I know you're mad at me. Just do it already." Jack dared him, cheeky.

Riddick smirked as he looked down at her. He was standing a few feet away from her leaning against the wall. She didn't even know what he would do to her, but he supposed she was sick of this cat and mouse game. The nice life he got her had made her soft. This whole being sold thing had shocked her too much. That scrappy child she had been had more bite to her. Jack took a deep breath and Riddick back away a little as she turned her head in his direction. She went to reach out, but stopped and crossed her arm back over her chest with the other one.

Taking out a shiv, a small sharp one, Riddick moved around her. He could almost feel her tracking him. Jack could smell him it seemed, maybe she'd locked onto the movement of clothing. It didn't matter though, he disappeared back further into the room and stilled, and she started to panic trying to look around for him again, find him without her eyes. This time when he came back over to her she didn't notice. She didn't single in on him until he was right in front of her grabbing her arm.

"Riddick what are you doing?" Jack yelped as he made her extend her arm out. She felt the warm metal of a shiv and whimpered going still. Riddick taught her on the ship, when Imam was asleep, that she wasn't to go jerking around when someone had a knife to her. Accidents could happen. If someone had a shiv on her it was too late to run. She shivered, it was so hard not to try and pull away. But he was tracing the blade over the creamy inside of her arm, her palm up. Jack didn't want to admit it but knew he was tracing a vein.

She kept her arm where it was but tried to push the rest of her back. She made sorry little pleading noises at him, and it shouldn't have turned him on but it did. It wasn't that she was in distress that was so arousing, but that he was in control of her.

"Do you still want me to just, _do it already?_" Riddick asked as he pressed the point down enough to make his without actually making her bleed. "Tell me Jack..." He moved the knife to her neck as he leaned in and coaxingly kissed her, "Where should I cut you? I won't kill you, but I think I'll make you bleed for this."

"Riddick... please don't..." Jack pleaded.

"Are you changing your mind? I thought you wanted to be punished." Riddick chuckled against her cheek. She shivered and he moved the knife to her collarbone. "Pick a spot baby."

The shiv moved to her shoulder and Jack shook her head no. Carefully, scared...

"It's going to happen," Riddick breathed his lips a breath away from hers. "You can pick or I will."

Jack whimpered, her eyes clamped shut even though she couldn't look if she wanted to. He was still waiting for an answer she didn't know. Her voice was caught somewhere among her vocal cords and she couldn't make anything come out. After a minute or so she managed, feeling his lips against hers, "Y-y-ou..." She wanted him to pick, to get it over with. She couldn't handle it.

Riddick kissed her cheek before pulling her away from the wall. She struggled a bit, but he pushed her onto her stomach baring her back to him. He touched her sweet-spot with his free hand but the knife found her shoulder-blade. Riddick thought about it, thought about letting her go, but his hand left her back and put pressure in-between her shoulders, below her neck. Metal split skin and she keened. Riddick could smell her tears but he put the knife back to her skin again blood overtaking his senses. He made a tidy little x on her right shoulder-blade.

Jack was crying for someone... It took a moment to realize that she was whining for him to make it stop hurting. He hurt her, and she was still calling for him to save her. Leaning down, still keeping her from getting up Riddick leaned down tasting her wound. "It'll be okay Jack," Riddick hummed after cleaning the cuts with his tongue. She trembled. "You sure do taste good though, little girl."

Scared.

Angry.

But mostly scared, Jack mumbled (cried) into the floor, "What big teeth you have..."

Riddick laughed, ordered the lights on low, and kissed her neck saying, "Just as big as my claws baby." When he was really eating her, she'd know.

* * *

AUTHORS NOTES:

I don't actually know what to say about this chapter except that it kind of needed to happen, just I wish I could have figured out a way to do it... slower... Maybe when I edit this after everything is said and done I'll figure out a more elegant way of introducing these characters but for now this is kind of what we're stuck with.

In the next chapter it's going to get more into Sienna and Jack's friendship and Riddick and Bear's past. More info and fleshing out all characters is going to come in the next chapter or two. Get some solid background information for all of you.

And I don't know what to say about the ending of this chapter except that... Riddick just marked his girl, staked his claim. It is also a lot nicer than my original plan, that was going to be a more extensive wound, but I decided to give her something smaller because I came to the conclusion that Riddick wanted to hurt her not break her. We'll also see how this works out for him in the next chapter first thing.

REVIEW REPLIES:

**Cana:** you have actually but it's nice to be reminded so yay! And stupid deed has been done, and between the two of us, and whoever else reads these things Riddick settling this isn't exactly over. Jack doing stupid things isn't over either and now she'll have help -.-

**my shangri-la:** I'm glad you like the story, sorry for the long wait for the update

**Wolf Huntress:** Thank you very much, I'm glad you like my Jack and Riddick.

**Bring-me-the-horizon:** Thank you, I'm glad you liked the pacing of the story, I hope I can keep it up and keep you interested. Sorry for the long wait for the update.


	6. Freedom Lost

It was getting into the afternoon but Riddick was watching Jack sleep. She was on her stomach still in only her underwear, completely out cold. Jack would shift around every once in a while, to find a more comfortable spot, but she kept sleeping. Sure, she'd been semi awake this morning and they'd just watched each other, but she'd dozed back off and hadn't woken up again yet. He looked at the X on her shoulder-blade, it was healing nicely, he'd bandage it up for her after they got out of the shower when she woke up.

He wasn't taking any chances.

Not with her best friend so willing to hide her.

She could take them alone if he didn't feel like it, but if he was showering so was she, or he was cuffing her to the bar most bathrooms had to hang towels on. That was if she got a choice in the matter. After this stunt she pulled, and yes even though he'd punished her for it he was still pissed about it. If she couldn't be good he'd take her freedoms until she earned them back.

Sighing after a moment he reluctantly got up from the bed. He was hoping the cologne seeping under the door would go away, but it wasn't. Riddick opened the door to Bear standing there looking at him some mix between disapproval and amusement flitting across his features. This was the second time Bear showed up at his door. The first two interruptions had been Sienna asking him to see Jack. Jack had been sleeping both times though, something he pointed out. When Sienna had been at the door he covered Jack back up, but with Bear he didn't bother. The older man had noticed her state of undress, but from so far away couldn't see what he'd done to her. "She's still sleeping Nikolai," Riddick said gruffly as he moved away from the door and back over to the nightstand where he'd put his goggles after the first time he'd had to answer the door.

Bear watched as Riddick pulled the goggles on, but didn't leave them over his eyes instead kept them slung around his neck. He walked into the room at that, and looked at the girl on the bed, she was indeed just sleeping. But he supposed she'd been through a lot over the past few days. "You gonna repair it without giving her painkillers Riddick?" Bear asked after he noticed the vicious red x on Jack's shoulder.

"Not repairing it," Riddick said with a shrug. "She's mine, it's a reminder." Sure how often did one see their own shoulder-blade, but she'd always know it was there. That and he'd be able to see it whenever he wanted.

"I see, well wake her up, dress her, and come out of here already," Bear insisted. He forced his eyes away from Jack putting them on Riddick who was eying his handy work. When Riddick didn't move Bear sighed saying, "There's a holy man/prime minister being yelled at in my living room Riddick, I'd like him out of here as fast as possible, but he wants to see you both. He also has a bag of clothes for you and Jack."

Riddick sighed looking away from Jack to look at Bear. "Fine Nikolai, go, I'll let her get dressed and come out." This was not ideal, but he knew that even here he couldn't lock Jack away in this room forever.

Once Nikolai was gone, shutting the door behind him, Riddick moved over to Jack. He let his fingers trace up her spine as he stood next to her side of the bed before he lightly jostled her uninjured shoulder. "Come on Jack..." Riddick called to her gruffly as he watched her. She whimpered, but turned her head towards his voice. Crouching down he watched as her eyes flickered open before they closed on her again, slow, unwillingly. "Jack, come on wake up kid," Riddick told her firmly, but not meanly. This time her eyes stayed open (barely) and she mumbled unintelligibly at him. "Imam is here, you need to get dressed doll."

Jack woke up a little more at that, shaking her head. "I don't want to see him," Jack muttered bitterly as she tried to shift away from Riddick, but her shoulder protested. "Make him go away Riddick." Jack said as she covered her head with one of her arms. She could only see because of the light seeping from between the crack where the black out curtains weren't pulled all the way together. It looked more like early morning, the only evidence otherwise being the bright line on the floor a few feet from the bed.

"Don't be a child Jack," Riddick breathed as he stood up brushing his fingers through her hair as he looked around for her clothes. Her pants were thrown towards her first followed by the bandana like top she'd been clubbing in. Only the shirt was thrown back at him. He growled lightly at her throwing the shirt behind him, thinking she was just being stubborn, but he found her pulling on the pants with her back to him before she covered herself with her arms and moved to the closet. She slid it open with one hand and upon closer inspection he found there to already be a couple clothes that must have belonged to Jack hanging there. She produced a bra and a shirt however after she successfully just popped open the wound on her shoulder trying to put on the bra Riddick sighed and took over.

Kissing her neck, getting her pained noises to die down, he pulled the bra back off and dropping it back down onto the bed he grabbed the black T-shirt she'd pulled out and helped her into it. For now her bra was out of the question until she produced a strapless one you just pulled on. Jack leaned away though when he turned her around to kiss her properly.

The new throb in her shoulder-blade reminded her of what happened through the haze of just waking up. He'd... he had cut her, and now he wanted a kiss? Sure she ran away, but she was going to go back. If he would have just waited she would have showed back up. He didn't have to hunt her down, and then punish her like that. Jack let him rub her side, but as she woke up more and more she didn't even want that. He must have noticed because he patted her cheek before pulling his goggles over his eyes, and leading her out of the room.

Jack stood close behind Riddick as he stopped just inside the living room. Sienna was in the middle of asking what kind of holy man he was selling his daughter. Someone he was supposed to take care of, and he was just giving her away. Before they were noticed, Sienna was too loud and too animated for even Riddick to be noticed, Jack grabbed a hold of his hand lightly tugging at it whimpering softly to him, "I'm sorry I ran Riddick, but... I don't want to talk to him... I don't want to talk to him and Sienna at the same time."

Riddick frowned as he looked back towards her through his goggles. It concerned him that she was literally hiding behind him to avoid seeing Imam in front of Sienna and Bear. Riddick pulled her closer putting his arm over the tops of her shoulders as he kissed the top of her head, her soft bed-head hair tickling his face. She pressed closer to him as he ushered her forward with minimal force. Once they were a few feet from Sienna they were noticed and she stopped ranting to look at Riddick suspiciously.

"Mr. Riddick..." Imam started, testing the waters to see if he'd be allowed to speak at all now. When everyone looked at him but didn't interrupt he continued more sure of himself, "I came to inform you that you're home is going to be finished early. You should be able to move in the day after tomorrow."

"Well not having to bug the place probably cut down on some time," Riddick hummed as he watched the man in front of him. Imam wisely kept his mouth shut, at least until it seemed like no one was going to carry this further.

Then Imam said, "We... we were hoping that you could let Jack return... alone until then, so she could spend some time with Ziza."

"Jack doesn't want to go back," Riddick informed him as he held her a bit more firmly, earning him a whimper. Sienna looked like she might snatch the younger girl from under his arm, but thankfully for her she seemed to know better. "It was her idea to come here, not mine."

"Riddick..." Jack wanted to tell him not to be so harsh but it wouldn't come out. She didn't want to go back. Quite frankly the only person in the room she wasn't supposed to be angry at was Sienna, but she couldn't even go stand next to the girl because Riddick was keeping such a tight hold on her. Blood was slipping sluggishly down her back, wetting her T-shit. She wanted him to let go so she could clean up before anyone noticed, but when she tried to lean away he just held her tighter... her only stroke of luck was that the T-shirt was black.

"Jack, why not spend more time with your family?" Imam asked her looking hurt. He knew that he didn't have the right, but she'd been apart of his family for a long time now. He wanted to try and make it up to her while he still had the chance. Even if it was just for a little less than two days.

"I'll s-" Jack started to talk but it was then it hit her that she didn't have control. She didn't have the _authority_ to say that she'd stop by to say goodbye to Ziza. That was something she would have to take up with Riddick, that's something that she'd have to get him to agree to...

When Jack fumbled Sienna jumped in for her, "Why would she want to spend more time with the man who sold her. Did you at least have the decency to ask him to spare Jack? Did you try to do anything for her?"

"Sienna." Bear snapped from the couch pushing his palms down towards the ground in a "calm down" motion. He could tell Jack was on edge enough. Riddick wasn't helping her, probably because he was still in the middle of punishing her for running off on him. The holy man, from what he understood from the couple times they crossed passed, never approved of the girls' friendship, and approved even less of Bear himself.

Only Sienna was not going to calm down especially when the man looked down, ashamed of himself because he hadn't done shit for Jack. "I never would have given Jack up, I don't care what Riddick's doing for the government! I would have hid her from him!" When Nikolai stood up Sienna's attentions turn on him, "Bear they didn't do anything for her and Riddick's just going to hurt her!"

"I wanna go back to the room..." Jack breathed into Riddick's side as Imam raised his voice about trying to do what's best for everyone. Bear started in on loyalty, and how Imam was no better than parents who slaved their kids out. "I'll lay with you, we can kiss, you can punish me more... just make him go away."

So, Jack really wanted the holy man gone, really wanted peace restored to her friends house. Riddick grinned darkly as he leaned down tapped the pointer finger of his free hand against his lips twice telling her what he wanted. Jack was hesitant but she leaned up and kissed him. She didn't take her time, but it was a decent kiss, enough to give her what she wanted for the promise of more. "Imam we'll stop by for breakfast the day after tomorrow so you can hand over the keys and take us over." Riddick said shortly instantly taking the attention of everyone in the room. "You should probably be running along to the right side of the tracks anyway Imam, leave Jack to her kind."

It wasn't a request, it wasn't even a suggestion. It was a demand and anyone with a bit of sense would have known it. As it turned out the holy man had some sense in him, because he bid everyone farewell before swiftly leaving. Then, just like that tension ebbed from the room.

Mostly...

Sienna walked right over in front of them inspecting Jack closely. She looked between the two of them before settling back on Jack. "Come on, let's go clean up whatever's hurting you." Sienna sighed as she wiped her hands off on each other like she was getting ready to do a hard job.

Jack shook her head though leaning in closer to Riddick. She didn't want him to do anything to Sienna, and she didn't want Sienna to see what he'd done to her. If it was at all possible she wanted to keep that mark just between her and Riddick. Jack really didn't want Sienna to see it while it was still new and bleeding.

Riddick barked out a chuckle, he knew exactly what was going on. Jack was trying to hide it. Jack was trying to hide from her punishment. Jack was trying to hide from what he taught her. That just wouldn't do. "Go on Jack, go get cleaned up with Sienna, get something to eat, we can lay together later." Riddick hummed as he lightly pushed her towards her friend.

The second Riddick had stopped talking Sienna had her hand before her brain could make her body move back to him. Jack bit her lip as Sienna dragged her off towards her room. She didn't want to do this, she wanted Riddick. Only as Sienna marched her passed her wall of coms and into her bathroom. Her and Bear had separate "studies" like Sienna's com room, but shared a master bedroom together to sleep.

"I'm not wearing a bra..." Jack mumbled before Sienna started to pull up her shirt. It wasn't sexual like it would be with Riddick, Sienna was treating her like a child that needed to be bathed. And now she was looking at her like she was a stubborn child.

"Jack I've seen it all, now up." Sienna demanded before she caught Jack's lower lip quivering. Her beautiful strong Jack, and he'd turned her into a scared little girl. "What's really wrong?"

"It's gonna hurt... and you're gonna get mad..." Jack said as she looked away from her. She didn't want Sienna to do something stupid, she didn't like that Riddick was getting everything that he wanted, and that he was taking one of the only things that really mattered to him away from her. He got to be free, but she didn't.

"I won't get mad... lift the arm that doesn't hurt..." Sienna sighed, defeated. After they maneuvered Jack's shirt from her body Sienna gasped and turned away. It wasn't particularly gory, but god it was horrible to see it on Jack. "Does it hurt badly?" Sienna asked before she could bring herself to turn around.

"Not that badly..." Jack said keeping her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes on the counter. Without the shirt she could feel blood leave a line all the way down her back. That X was Riddick's claim on her, the official "Riddick was here" graffiti on her body. There was so much wrong with everything. Her life was officially shit. Her hero was her biggest monster. He was no longer the lesser evil, he was the only evil. There was no other choice.

While Jack thought Sienna pulled out a first aid kit. She pulled out everything she'd need to clean and bandaged the wound piling it onto the counter next to the sink. Then she pulled out a little package of pills, painkillers two, the good kind not the shitty kind that normally came in the standard kits. She put them in her friends hand, pressing them there until the other girl gripped them.

"Sienna he didn't do this so I could take some painkillers and forget about it..." Jack said placing the little packet on the counter in front of her.

Sienna pinched the bridge of her nose as she looked at the brunette in the mirror. "Jack take them or so help me I will shove them down your throat." She insisted as she glared at Jack's reflection. Jack paused before turning on the tap and filling a little cup next to the sink. After she tore open the packet, threw back the pills, and then gulped the water. "Good, now to get this cleaned up," Sienna breathed as she tore open a packet with a wipe in it.

ooo

"I could get you off planet and he'd never know." Sienna insisted as she taped the bandage to Jack's shoulder-blade. "At least not till it was too late."

"I'm surprised he isn't in the room." Jack mumbled as she pulled back on her bloody t-shirt and walked out of the bathroom into the hacker's lair. She took her normal seat on the couch on the wall opposite the wall of coms. "I'm surprised he didn't hover in the doorway while you cleaned me up." Jack continued, "Wait no I'm not, he did that to torture me, by letting you see what he did to me without being there to blame in person."

"Jack you're not acting yourself..." Sienna breathed as she sat down in her plush computer chair spinning it around to look at Jack. "I mean sometimes I see you in there but then there's just this broken you."

"Sienna, my family sold me to a monster, who I used to worship," Jack stated in monotone. "He never gives me _any_ space, now not withstanding, and I'm not use to that anymore. When we were traveling together it was a necess... necessity. Not only was it dangerous for me otherwise, but there was just no space to be anywhere but right on top of each other." Jack paused and leaned back, the painkillers made it so that wasn't a painful action and Jack rubbed her face saying, "He wants that back, and I wouldn't mind giving it to him if it wasn't to this god damn fucking extreme. I need time. I need to stop being beaten over the head with a blunt object every time... time he... I don't know where I was going with that... that didn't come out right..." Jack trailed off and wondered how good those drugs were.

"You meant he needs to stop springing shit on you," Sienna clarified for the girl. After all she did know how good the drugs were and they probably should have been used if he'd beaten her to within an inch of her life and then cut her shoulder, but she figured Jack could use the little extra numbing.

"Yeah... I mean there isn't much more dat could happ'n from 'ere on out so maybe I can cope... but he's a... him... you know what... Shit Sienna I think he's going to notice that I'm high off my ass..." Jack started to giggled towards the end as she noticed the dim room was starting to seem kind of fuzzy around the edges.

"I think you deserve it," Sienna laughed as Jack experimentally waved her hand in front of her face. Maybe she shouldn't have let Jack take both, but she was pissed at Riddick because of what he was doing to Jack. So Jack was going to get to enjoy not being in pain.

"At least it's not like... you know giving me lag... because when he figures it out he's gonna be mad. I'd like a chance..." Jack hummed. It was like everything was turned down. Even when the door opened to the room Jack's heartbeat didn't go a mile a minute at seeing Riddick. He wasn't barging in, at least not exactly. He was just opening the door and telling them... crap she wasn't paying attention.

When Jack didn't answer him about food, and just looked at him like she was trying to concentrate on something particularly difficult Riddick glared at Sienna. "What the fuck did you do with her?" Riddick asked gruffly as he walked into the room.

"I gave her something for the pain. The side effects will wear off in an hour or so, and just leave it so her shoulder doesn't hurt," Sienna insisted with a little shrug. As if this was all no big deal.

"I didn't punish her so she could take some pills and forget about it," Riddick growled as Bear showed up in the doorway behind him.

"I... ha, I told her dat, and she threa'ened to shove dem down my throa'," Jack laughed a bit. She had, she remembered that. Riddick didn't seem to think it was funny though and she promptly shut her mouth. Only something kicked on inside of her and Jack insisted, "That's what you get for trying to humiliate me after you already fucking punished me Riddick."

Riddick didn't even growl, but the look he gave made Sienna move uncomfortably. Unfortunately it seemed that Jack had her good sense shut off with her pain, because she just glared right back.

"What do you want from me Riddick? Do you really wanna fuck me that badly? Is this all because I wouldn't let you do me up against my shower?" Jack asked heatedly as she stood up, wobbly. (Not that she noticed though.) "Why didn't you just rape me if you wanted it that badly? You were thinking about it. I knew you were it was in your eyes. You could have done anything you wanted, and you probably could have even made my body think it felt good."

Bear motioned Sienna out of the room around the time Jack asked about Riddick taking her against her shower. Thankfully Sienna had some sense. He stayed just to make sure things didn't get worse because of what Sienna put in Jack. He watched with the old blank face he'd been able to watch his slave trainers handle the slaves, but Jack wasn't just some slave. If this went to far he'd have to think about stopping Riddick. He'd have to decide if Jack was in real danger.

"Jack shut up," Riddick growled at her as he stalked closer to her. He didn't want her to make this any worse than it was. He didn't want her to say things and then think they were true later because he got angry and scared her by giving her the details.

"No! I'm not your pet! I won't be treated like this! I won't let you cut me up and then piece me back together the way you want me!" Jack yelled as she fought to force her mind to do what she wanted it to. Was she even making sense? She clamped her eyes shut and pushed the heels of her palms against them. Everything was fuzzy. She looked up after a second only to find Riddick right there. Her heart jumped up in her throat. Silver. When did he take off his goggles? Had he even had them on? "I... I'm not some little kid. You can't do this Riddick..."

"Not a little kid?" Riddick hummed dangerously. "I know you're not a little kid anymore. I don't typically want to fuck little kids Jack, though you have always been special. Still kids are no use to me as slaves unless I want something to scrub floors and shine my boots. I can make you do that Jack, and I'll make you do that if you don't stop acting like a fucking child."

"I hate you..." Jack growled even as her mind wandered and he grabbed a hold of her. "You're nothing but an animal. You're nothing but an obsessed, selfish, animal."

His hands tightened on her and she whimpered finally focusing on him. "I'm going to look passed this Jack, because you're high. I'm going to give you something I've never given someone else." He paused and watched as she mouthed the word, "That's right Jack, mercy. You're the only one who gets my mercy."

"But it comes... with a price..." Jack whined as Riddick held her face in his hands. His hands were so big and warm and Jack just didn't known what to do. She pressed against one of his hands, nuzzling. She didn't understand any of this. Why was she even fighting with him? Jack cracked a smile, and when Riddick looked at her like she'd lost it she giggled a little. "I still owe you for making Imam go away... I still owe you for saving my life on T2. I owe you for protecting me on the way to New Mecca. I owe you for not taking my virginity in some dark corner on the transport ship when I was just a kid. I owe you my life a couple times over... ha ha hahaha!" Jack laughed even as tears shined in her eyes. "I owe you everything! I owe my life to a monster! I owe my life to a slave trading, world saving, little girl humoring, monster!"

Riddick frowned as he watched Jack pretty much lose her mind. Of course she was speaking perfect sense but even Riddick could see her unraveling. He let his hands fall to her upper arms as he looked over his shoulder at Bear. The other man raised his hands in defeat, shaking his head. He didn't know what to do either. Taking one of her hands in one of his Riddick coaxed her into following him saying, "We'll start you off paying me back for getting rid of Imam."

He still remembered her promising to lay with him and kiss. She was pliable like this, he'd take advantage of it until it wore off or until dinner. Whichever happened first. When she pulled her hand from his suddenly, only to grab onto his arm Riddick paused looking down at her. He found her looking up at him nervously. She bit her lip and it suddenly hit him what she was probably thinking. He took her chin in his free hand telling her, "Kissing, just kissing until little red gets to the house remember?" It would probably be a bad move to have sex with her while she was like this. She wouldn't trust him if he pulled it on her like this. Probably be worse than if he'd just forced her in her bathroom.

ooo

Jack whimpered as Riddick kissed her neck with long, slow, open mouthed kisses that made her squirm. He was over her his arms braced on the bed on either side of her. Her hands gripped the comforter by her sides. Jack gasped as he nipped at her collarbone, her back arching up towards him.

Riddick grinned against her skin as he moved one of his hands to push her back against the bed. She squirmed under his hand and Riddick leaned back up towards her face getting a desperate, testing, kiss. He kissed back, dominating her mouth as his hand slipped up her shirt. He stopped right under her breast holding her side firmly. Keeping her in place, getting more skin contact. Her tongue slipped into his mouth lightly brushing the tip against the roof of his mouth before she quickly retreated and turned her head away. "Don't hide Jack, babe," Riddick said as he put his weight back on his knees his other hand sliding up, her shirt gripping that side too.

Jack looked back towards him but didn't know what to do. "Riddick..." Jack breathed as she reached up and brushed her fingers over his face. She wanted her hero back. She didn't know what to do with this Riddick. The Riddick that owned her. She was so very aware of his hands on her skin under her shirt as she leaned up pressing her lips to his jaw. Then she kissed his other cheek, then just under the opposite eye. Finally she kissed his lips. His lips moved under hers and somehow she knew he was telling her _good girl. _Her heart skipped a beat.

She couldn't do this.

Pushing him away Jack whined shaking her head, trying to move out from under him. "Stop, stop, it's too much."

There was a light knock on the door before Riddick could say anything about it. He sighed, frustrated before he kissed her forehead and moved off of her.

ooo

Jack frowned down at her plate. She wasn't hungry, she couldn't make herself be hungry. She looked across the table at Bear, and then next to him at Sienna. Neither looked at her. Then she looked to Riddick who looked at her from behind his goggles. He didn't seem angry, but he was watching her on and off. Probably because she wasn't eating like a starving animal like she normally did. Probably because she had a feeling she had a mini break down on him.

Riddick pulled her closer to him making the couple across the table look up to see what was happening. He merely pulled her chair closer to his, she adjusted her plate even though she wasn't eating from it. She gave this little half smile at the two before she finally picked up her fork.

Right before Jack took a bite she stopped and grinned at Sienna asking, "So what did you dose me with?"

Sienna laughed a bit saying, "Oh just a high dose painkiller. Probably shouldn't have made you take both pills."

Jack moved her food around on her plate a bit, cutting things more before she grinned at Bear saying, "So you knew Riddick before he was all big and bad?"

"Yeah Jack, I was gonna make him a fighter, but he was too smart for it," Bear said grinning at the girl as she seemed to start eating.

Going in for another bite Jack paused and pointed her fork at Bear asking, "So he was some wet behind the ears kid like me back in the day?"

"Ah not as wet as you, but he was still green. Lured him in with promise of easy money," Bear grinned at the man next to Jack as she told Riddick the meat was good and offered him some from her fork even though he had the same food on his plate.

Riddick took the bite that was offered to him before he growled, "I knew what you were after you got me a meal. Surprised that you brought me on board though." He watched as Jack gave him a portion of of her food instead of him reaching for seconds from the middle of the table.

"I thought you might have an idea, but you couldn't take the whole crew on," Bear insisted as they all started to get in on the conversation. Sienna snorting and saying, "Kinda hard to miss a slave trader after a certain point, especially if you're a street kid!"

ooo

"I got the dishes!" Jack said as she piled the other plates on hers when everyone seemed done. Sienna giggled as she indulged in more beer as Bear seemed to have a never ending supply in that pitcher. The mood had lightened considerably as they all got into the past laughing and joking about stupid things they'd done, but the entire time Jack hadn't been able to eat. Her stomach was still twisted up, and she ended just pushing her food around a lot, going to take bites but suddenly talking and moving a lot. Even going as far as to feed Riddick and scoop some of her food onto his plate...

It seemed to have worked... Bear and Sienna stopped giving her worried looks and Riddick seemed absorbed in bad mouthing Bear. Who was a hell of a lot older then Jack suspected. Some people had a few years tacked on, especially if they took a trip from one side of the verse to the other but still. She piled the empty plates into the sink before taking her still mostly full plate and scraping the food into the trash shoot.

"You tricked them Jack, but did you really think you could get this sort of thing by me?"

Jack spun around finding Riddick, of course, standing just behind her. "I don't know what you're talking about Riddick." Jack insisted as she went back to the sink and gathered the plates before putting them into the dishwasher.

"You didn't eat anything." Riddick clarified for her as he watched her close the door to dishwasher. When she turned around she looked determined.

"Are you sure about that Riddick?" Jack asked as she glared at him. "I ate, you weren't watching me every second. Just because I didn't eat a lot doesn't mean anything."

"Then give me a kiss Jack," Riddick grinned as he came closer, challenging her to lie to him. When she tried to push past him he grabbed her arm telling her, "Jack you need to eat." When she tried to pull away he sighed and tried a softer approach, saying, "Come on Jack," He let go of her arm hesitantly, "Desert, at least eat some desert."

"I'm really just not hungry Riddick..." Jack breathed as she looked away from him. "I'll eat when I'm hungry."

Riddick looked her over, ruffled her hair before walking back into the dinning room with her.

ooo

"Do we really have to take it together?" Jack asked as she watched him set up the shower. "Can't I wait in the room? Or have Bear watch me, he seems to be on your side."

Riddick shook his head as he turned around shedding his shirt. "Bear said he wouldn't hide you, not that he would keep you here." Riddick said as he came to a stop in front of Jack. "Now I can lock you in here with me and I'll take a shower, and then you can, or we can take one together and get it over with."

Jack bit her lip. Sure he made it sound all impersonal, but she couldn't see him not pushing it as far as he could. "I won't run away Riddick, come on, I'll just sit in the bedroom." Jack said as she looked up at him, grabbing his forearms when he went to reach for her shirt. When he just gave her that look, that told her there was no other options she asked, "Can I undress myself?" Jack wanted that little bit of space.

Riddick let go of her holding his hands up in surrender. He'd give her that much. The shower started up now that the water was running at the right temp. He stripped the rest of the way down keeping his eyes on Jack in the dim room. She was hesitant about it, but she got undressed fast enough. She was careful of her shoulder, cutely kept her eyes directly on his face, and used her arms to hide her from him.

Chuckling he took a moment to lock the door, thanks to Bear her prints couldn't lock or unlock doors, then he ushered her into the shower putting her in front of him. At first Jack just felt really awkward, but when nothing happened though Riddick reached around her grabbing shampoo from the little floating counter in the shower-stall. Jack wasn't quite sure what was up with him but he actually washed her hair for her. It kind of made her feel like a little kid though.

Her hair was soft and short, and after he'd successfully made a small mountain of suds he turned Jack around letting it wash out. Riddick ran his fingers through her hair giving her a small grin. She was gorgeous, and he wanted to run his hands over her. He wanted to lay claim to her. He grabbed a washcloth from the same counter lathering it up with some body wash watching as Jack thoughts flashed across her face. She wanted to stop him but didn't, just kept her arms crossed over her chest as she kept her eyes on his... shoulder. Must have been watching his arm move.

Really Jack was just trying not to look below his waist while not looking at his eyes the entire time. He had the bathroom dimmed so he didn't have to shower with his goggles on, but she didn't really know what to do. When he went to move her arms she tried to jerk away from him but he used his free hand to grip one of her arms. Closing her eyes she let him move her arm from over her chest. He continued cleaning her and she only jerked again when he tweaked a nipple. Jack glared at him her hands grabbing at his insisting, "Riddick, you said!" He said he'd wait. He didn't even have to wait that long.

"Loosen up Jack," Riddick breathed as he moved the cloth down her belly. He was the one that had to have the restraint not to get turned on by this. Without clothes it wasn't like he could hide anything. It's why he was mostly watching her face. This wasn't punishment, he wasn't concentrating on punishing her he was merely washing her.

"Come on Riddick, loosen up," Jack shot back as she looked off to the side. "I'm not going to leave you here alone with Sienna."

"Do you really want to be a smart mouth right now?" Riddick asked as he knelt down. He heard her huff at him but just grinned as he continued his work.

ooo

"I'm not washing anything below your waist..." Jack grumbled as she lathered the washcloth back up. "And just so you know this is a crappy way to bond."

"How else am I supposed to get you to bond with me? Your idea of playing now consists of hide and seek, and pissing me off." Riddick insisted as she started at his stomach.

"I always liked pissing you off," Jack laughed as she went up one side and across his chest. "Or a least irking you, because then you would play with me. If I was quiet you just stared at me, or out the windshield. Of course on the transport you'd just blatantly ignore me if I wasn't getting into something. The only time you didn't was at night when we snuggled, but I always suspected you did that so I wouldn't wake you up by screaming, and well to piss off Imam."

"Don't play innocent you did all that to wiggle your way in so I'd protect you," Riddick chuckled as he watched her start going down one arm carefully. "You had to keep reminding me you were there every ten seconds or you thought I'd just forget you."

"Apparently I smelt bad, I didn't think you'd forget me, I just figured that... I dunno I was a kid, I thought you'd think I was boring and you wouldn't want me around." Jack said with a shrug as she moved onto his other arm.

"Kid we were on a skiff for a week with rationed water for drinking only. We all reeked," Riddick said tilting his head. That was not a particularly fond memory, at least not the smell.

"Not what I meant," Jack blushed.

"Ah, I never said your blood stank, just that I could smell it." Riddick said with sudden understanding. "I like you're blood kid." Riddick reached around tapping her shoulder with the hand she wasn't washing.

"Why did you let me sleep with you at night?" Jack asked she pointed her index finger in the air and swiveled it around. When he turned around she started at the top.

"At first it was because of the screaming. You put me on edge, I almost shived Imam thinking he was hurting you," Riddick said as he looked at the fogged up door of the shower. If answering questions got her to talk to him he'd answer them. "Then it was just because it became habit. You were warm, and if I could feel you I knew you weren't running off getting in trouble or getting hurt."

Jack frowned as she closed in on his lower back. "That one day you found me on the entertainment deck...?" Jack trailed off as she stopped washing his back and pressed the washcloth towards his hand, blushing.

Riddick frowned a moment as he took over washing himself. "What about it Jack?" He'd play this little game but she needed to be more specific.

"You held me against the wall a long time, and then wouldn't let me down even after we got back to the room," Jack said as she crossed her arms over herself as he turned back to look at her. She noticed the look on his face, as he thought back. This was probably the most Riddick ever talked. She knew he wasn't a talking man, but he was humoring her, and she knew it.

"Just holdin' you." Riddick said moving forward, making Jack step back as he got under the water. It wasn't the whole truth and they way she looked up at him told him she knew it. Riddick sighed and leaned down close to her saying, "You made me worry kid, I told you all the things that could happen when you were that small. Didn't matter if you were a boy or a girl. I held you like that so I didn't hurt you."

"Hurt me?" Jack asked, only seconds later he had her pressed against the wall off her feet.

He held her by her thighs, holding her high enough that she wouldn't think he was about to do anything to her here. "What do you want from me Jack?" He asked as he watched her closely. When she just looked at him he sighed telling her, "I wanted to smack you around for being an idiot. I wanted to plant a shiv in Imam's head for not watching you. I risked my neck to get you off that planet and he was just going to sit there and ruin it all in minutes. Would have made everything fucking worthless because I walked out of a room for a couple minutes."

Jack frowned for a moment before she leaned into him pressing her face to his neck. "This isn't fair Riddick..." Jack mumbled. She couldn't even be mad at him. He'd risked his life to save hers and she could have ruined it, and Imam had been too busy praying to stop her from being a child. What made this worse was they were completely naked and having this conversation. It was worse because she was that child again that couldn't leave his sight. Jack vaguely remembered what she'd said earlier about owing him for not taking her virginity but she didn't want to push it.

Shutting down the water Riddick shifted Jack around getting them out of the shower. He was reluctant to put her down though, he pressed his face to her damp hair instead. Leaning a hip against the counter he held on to her, she didn't seem to be in a hurry to get down now anyway. Good, if she wanted to keep this whole getting to the house first thing up he couldn't have her squirming around in his arms naked. He could enjoy holding her like this, especially when they were both calm. Except that she started to shiver. Right soaking wet...

Jack held closer to Riddick, he was like a ball of heat. She was caught up in her memories, and him. Wondering how it wasn't awkward to let him hold her like this. Jack barely realized that she started to shiver and until he set her down and started rubbing a towel over her. Her arms came back up to cross over her chest, even though Riddick just grinned amused, shaking his head a little. He ended rubbing the towel over her short hair before he reached over and grabbed a towel for himself.

Relieved that he wrapped the towel around his waist when he was through Jack sighed, already wrapped in hers. Jack ended up asking, "Riddick, you just made me shower with you because you wanted to see me naked again right? Revenge for making you wait? Right? This isn't an everyday thing?"

"Wrong kid, you fucked up," Riddick said brushing his fingers through her hair before he turned and let them out of the bathroom. "You're not allowed out of my sight. You do what I say when I say it, Jack. Don't and you'll be punished. Try to run off to assert yourself again and you really won't like it Jack."

Jack swallowed hard before following after him. She barely cleared the door when she found a shirt being thrown at her. She caught it awkwardly before looking to Riddick questioningly.

"Put it on," Riddick said pointing at the shirt then at her. He didn't bother to watch to see if she was doing as she was told. Instead he dug in the bag, pulling on boxers then pants before he looked back to see if she was getting changed. She wasn't. "You wanna be naked?"

"Why do I gotta wear your clothes?" Jack asked as she glared at him.

"You're really not getting this whole do as I say, when I say thing, Jack," Riddick said as he walked back towards her. "Just put it on."

Jack glared before she took a minute and smiled. Maybe Riddick didn't know how much she'd grown up. She wasn't a kid, and the smirk she gave was anything but childish. Riddick must have caught it because he sat down waving her on. Moving closer to him she let the towel slide from around her. She tilted her head and grinned only to throw the shirt at him. It took all of her nerve plus more to say, "I rather be naked Riddick."

_Fuck. _Riddick watched her closely as she stood in front of him. He growled at her as he put the shirt on the bed next to him. He'd been a damn good beast for her and now she was putting on a show? Did she think he would control himself if she was going to blatantly tease him? Her hands slid down her sides crossing over her stomach. And she was aroused, it was in her sent, was the way her nipples were tight. Reaching out he grabbed her hips firmly bringing her to stand between his legs. "Jack, put the damn shirt on." Riddick insisted his voice stuck in that growl as he looked her over. When she didn't move to grab it, just dropped her arms down to her sides, he brought his lips to her stomach. He wasn't going to threaten her, but he wasn't going to be good anymore.

Jack tried to act uninterested as he held her. Looking off to the side, even as his tongue and lips made their way up her torso. He paused and she looked down just in time for him to close his lips over a nipple. "Ah..!" Jack yelped as she gripped his head. "No... no Riddick..."

She felt teeth, felt him growl at her. Really wished he wasn't at her breast right now, because her knees just about buckled. He shifted around and suddenly she was straddling one of his legs. Whimpering Jack gripped his shoulders. Why'd that have to feel so good? He was so hot against her, he was expertly rough, but he wasn't hurting her. He pulled her forward abruptly, grabbing her chin telling her, "Jack, you gotta learn better."

ooo

Riddick held her hips down as Jack came, her hips were trying to buck up and dislodge his tongue from her center. When she settled her breathing hard he pulled from her licking his lips. She whimpered at him and he reached a hand up rubbing one of her arms. They were probably straining a little she'd really been trying to touch him. Two belts one his one hers looped around her wrists and up through a carving in the headboard. She was pulled low enough on the bed that there was almost no slack.

He made it feel good, but made her helpless.

No freedom, she was just lucky he didn't want it to hurt.

"Good girl," He rumbled to her kissing her neck. "You like it?"

Jack nodded, even though she felt like it was wrong to like what he'd just done to her. She couldn't understand why her hips raised up pressing against him. She whined, "Please untie me..."

It would seem that Jack was having a bit of a problem letting go of her freedom still. He could tell. Her body wanted more, it pressed invitingly. Her mind was torn though, didn't know why having no power in this felt so good. Despite that he was so hard it hurt and that her rubbing against him didn't help Riddick growled, couldn't do anything else at the moment, "Not if you want to keep going." When she tried to pull away he pressed between her legs firmly, telling her roughly, "I'll take care of you Jack, it won't hurt more than it has to, but only if you do as I say and stay tied up."

Biting her lip so hard it drew blood Jack couldn't make herself pick. She wanted this, she wanted him. Being completely at his mercy? Its why she was trying to ignore how he was pushed against her. Jack keened at him pulling at her wrists, but when he started to pull away she stilled pleading, "Wait, stay..." He did wait, but he watched her expectantly. "It... You'll take care of me...?" Jack asked wishing so bad that she could reach up and touch him.

"Yeah kid, been takin' care of you for a long time now," Riddick hummed as he leaned down to her and licked at her bloody lip before as moved back a bit undoing his pants. Pushing and kicking out of them before he knelt between the legs of his prize. Her arms still tugged, but he liked that she still fought a little. He had to remind himself he promised he wouldn't hurt her more than he had to, that he more or less promised to be gentle as he could.

Jack looked up at her hands wanting so much to be able to get her hands free, but soon her train of thought broke off because Riddick's hands were doing things she couldn't describe if she wanted to. She concentrated, gasped and looked at him like one of them was going crazy. "Damn it Riddick are you writing the A, B, C's?" She gasped as she bucked her hips, embarrassed wanting him to stop, wanting more.

Riddick grinned wickedly, added another finger. "Promised to take care of ya doll," Riddick chuckled as he leaned over her, but looked down to see her riding his hand. Had to make sure she was really ready.

God why was he so talented at this? He wasn't the touchiest man around. She knew he'd try to be gentle, but that he was paying special attention now so when he wasn't so gentle anymore it might lessen the sting. Moaning lightly into her arm Jack wanted her arms back. Her nails bit into her palms, as she felt that horribly bittersweet feeling building inside her.

Riddick shifted around kissing and licking her breasts making her cry out for him. She wanted more, he could smell the blood on her lips, the blood staining her palms. "Cum Jack," Riddick growled against her sternum. She gasped but she didn't do as she was told, actually he was positive she was trying to disobey that order for whatever reasons she had. Frowning he didn't let up and moved to purr against her cheek, "Come on Jack... I wanna be inside you babe," She started to shudder and he grinned. Closer, so close, maybe just a little more of a push, "I need ya Jack."

"Fuck," Jack ground out as she forced herself to still her hips. She was nervous she knew he was trying to get her to climax so he could start when she was cumming.

He kept his one hand moving the other slid to cup the back of her neck. She whined knowing what he was doing and he started to massage her. "Let go Jack, it'll feel so fucking good." Riddick coaxed. She squirmed, her hips bucked but she didn't come. "Doesn't this feel good Jack? So much better than fingering yourself?" She jerked again. "Just cum Jack and you won't have to pretend it's my cock in you. I'll really be inside you," His voice dropped became that thick velvet that always made her shiver, "Fucking you, hard."

Truthfully it was almost surprising that made her cum. On the other hand it was satisfying, it made him grin wolfishly as he moved, positioning himself properly. It was good to know she liked the idea of him being rough with her.

Jack didn't imagine him gentle... at least not often. He was always rough, not to the point he was really hurting her, but rough. He was always demanding, but she never imagined him taking all the control from her. She'd always had her hands. She felt him push in, and it wasn't excruciating like she thought it'd be. Like she'd been led to believe. It wasn't comfortable, it stung even as she came down from her high. He was moving slowly, watching her. She leaned up and nuzzled his cheek, because she couldn't just touch his cheek. Somehow the nuzzling felt more appropriate anyway.

She whimpered a little when he tried a little faster pace, still achingly slow for him Jack was sure, but she rolled her hips trying to adjust. The sting made her eyes involuntarily water, but she didn't ask him to stop. Jack knew that he'd be going faster any other time. She watched his face, the look of restraint there before he buried his head against her neck. Their breathing was ragged, but she managed, "Ah, Riddick, don't hold back."

His hips jerked out of time, before he sped up the pace, kissing all over her face after groaning, "That's my Jack."

ooo

Jack whimpered as Riddick finally untied her. She was really starting to feel sore. Pulling her arms down so they crossed over her stomach, Jack watched Riddick toss his makeshift restraints onto the floor next to the bed before he turned his attention back to her. It occurred to her that telling Riddick not to hold back had been almost too much for her.

Though he didn't seem to take into consideration her inexperience after she gave him the go ahead he still kissed and nuzzled. It was kind of like he was trying to get her to be into it, or at least it his way of showing her he hadn't completely forgotten about her.

Now he gently took one of her hands into both of his, looking over her wrist. It was red, rubbed a bit raw. A glance down spoke of bruises, a bit of blood. He rubbed her side before he pulled her up into his arms sitting her sideways on his lap. She was tired, he could see it on her face, and the way she didn't fight him. Still she leaned up and placed an opened mouth kiss on his neck under his jaw. Leaning down he kissed her lips coaxingly, only for her to push at his shoulders. _Right, _Riddick sighed and kissed her cheek. He'd been rough after she told him not to hold back, more so than he'd intended.

His fingers traced down her side, and Jack shivered a little. She just didn't think she could do that again. Reaching out she took a hold of the hand tracing down her stomach. "Riddick..." Jack said trying to get his attention, trying to convey that too him.

"I know Jack, no more," Riddick breathed letting her weigh his hand in hers and playing with his fingers. She smiled at him tiredly, leaning into him even more, letting go of his hand after a moment. Riddick watched her and held her closer as her breathing started to even out. His hand touched her thigh, brushed up to her hip to ghost his fingers over a bruise there. He couldn't get enough of the way she'd felt. She'd been tight, and hot. He had kissed and ran his hands all over her. Claiming every inch. Keeping her close, and indeed making sure she knew he wasn't just using her body. He couldn't forget Jack, it wasn't just a prone body under him, it was Jack.

Damn he still wanted more of her though. One taste and now he wanted more.

* * *

AUTHORS NOTES!

Okay! So this has been so hard in coming because I haven't been sure what I'm gonna do in this story. However I've now gotta good idea of what I want for this story and where it's going. I'm gonna give you all a little explanation. Jack and Riddick are gonna get to their house, and Riddick's going to let Sienna come over so Jack doesn't get all depressed. When the Necro's start to get closer to New Mecca Riddick's going to start having them pack up house, despite Jack's objections. Sienna and Bear on gonna be on Riddick's side, and they're gonna form a little group and sneak off planet. This is a brief overview of the next couple of chapters. With important details left out, and of course I don't wanna ruin too much, but I want to let you know that I now know what I'm doing so the story will start to seem like it has direction.

REVIEW REPLIES

**RatedRGirl83**: Yup I thought it was a good way to go, though it isn't the end of Riddick leaving his mark.

**Savvy**: Red Riding Hood has always been my favorite too. Riddick seemed perfect to be a wolf.

**Melanchte:** I'm glad you approve. And I am. I think I have a more solid idea of what going on in this story so I'm definitely going to continue.


	7. Wasn't Happy

By the time morning came around he was still holding her. They were shuffled under the covers, he was reclined back on the four pillows for the bed, already awake and petting her hair. Jack seemed content to sleep until he hit a snag with his fingers. Her eyes blinked open, she squirmed, and then started to blush as she looked up at him. Her face said it all, _hadn't meant to go that far._

Her eyes flitted down to her wrists, and she frowned lightly. "I look like I was kidnapped..." Jack muttered as she touched her wrists gingerly. Looking at him she found him smirking. "That better not turn you on," She insisted sternly.

He playfully bucked his hips, sending her scampering to the end of the bed but he just grinned, stayed laid back. Told her, "Can't kidnap what's mine Jack." Now if he had been able to just swoop in and kidnap her. Stow her away on a ship. Yeah that idea was a turn on, but someone kidnapping her from him. Blood lust wasn't the same as lust. He watched her sit on her knees her arms crossed over her chest. That was a nice sight, reminded him how the slaves on Bears ship use to sit. He could go for a quickie before Bear and Sienna started in on them. "Still sore?" Riddick asked, remaining relaxed. No reason to get excited if he wasn't getting any. He'd give her time... a little time.

Jack shifted, it was an experimental move, he could tell. He could also see her wince. Not a good sign for being able to have a go. "Not really..." Jack still insisted. She didn't wanna be a crybaby all because Riddick played a little rough.

Riddick sighed and shook his head saying, "Next time put on the shirt."

"You were being an ass," Jack sighed back at him as she shuffled around a little.

Suddenly Riddick got up and stalked around the bed grabbing her by the back of the neck. "Do as I say or you'll spend a week tied up in a corner. You won't enjoy it if we have to have this lesson again," Riddick growled at her. She glared at him for a moment before she backed off and nodded her agreement. He pulled her up off the bed coaxingly as he bent down a little to look her in the eye asking, "Do I need to lay out the rules, or do you think you can figure them out without making me want to smack you around?"

"I think I can figure them out," Jack said looking away from him sadly.

"Hey, hey," Riddick said cupping her face in his hands. "You know people live like this willingly."

Jack looked at him for a moment before it clicked, her eyes widened for a moment before she closed them on him saying, "I'm not a sub Riddick."

Riddick quirked an eyebrow up at that, before he nudged her towards the shower, "Let's get cleaned up kid." After all they were already naked, and he couldn't imagine she wanted to walk around with blood and cum on her thighs all day. Definitely had to find out how she learned such a lovely word so well to recall it so easily.

ooo

"Damn it Riddick you gonna just scar all of her or what?" Bear asked as he held onto Jack's hands. Sienna had headed out for some take out for lunch, which meant that she wasn't there to have an even bigger fit. Jack, embarrassed just looked off to the side. She'd been so relieved when Sienna hadn't been there only for Bear to grab a hold of her and ask what the hell Riddick thought he was doing to her.

Riddick just shrugged as he plopped back onto the couch. "Oh, She'll be fine," Riddick said grinning at them as Bear pushed Jack down into an armchair. Like sitting her away from Riddick would prevent anything else from happening.

"I know Jack'll be fine, but do you really want Sienna dosing Jack again, or taking her away?" Bear asked before walking out of the room and upstairs to where his own bathroom was.

Frowning Riddick motioned Jack to come sit with him. She did, burying herself against his side under his arm. Hearing that Sienna still thought about taking Jack from him wasn't a pleasing thought, but having Jack under his arm helped him forget the comment. He played with her short golden brown hair, twirling his fingers around the damp locks. She rubbed at her wrists self-consciously, and leaned into him when Bears footsteps came back down the stairs and across the carpet to them.

"Fix her up," Bear insisted tossing a tube at Riddick as he took Jack's abandoned seat.

Riddick looked at the little tube of ointment before shrugging and popping open the cap, taking a hold of one of Jack's wrists. "You were never this considerate before Bear," He said as he dropped the tube in his lap and started rubbing the gel into her first wrist. Didn't question why Jack couldn't do it herself.

Bear watched Jack shift around before he looked towards Riddick saying, "You were never fucking my daughter figure before either Riddick."

Jack blushed and kept her eyes on Riddick's fingers, and her skin as the redness started to fade away. He picked the tube back up and switched wrists. She didn't want to be in the room while they had this conversation. It was not the same as dancing pressed between Bear and Sienna while they kissed.

"Jack is plenty old enough to consent to a little rough play, Bear," Riddick chuckled as he caused a shiver to run up Jack's spine. "I didn't make her do shit. Right Jack?"

Jack was about to rat him out but stopped short. She eventually agreed to being tied up. So instead she nodded and shrugged, "Nothing you couldn't have gotten me to agree to anyway." She didn't dare look at Bear though. Instead she looked up at Riddick who seemed to take the answer for what it was. Truth. They both knew that he'd forced her down and tied her up while she yelled for him not to. In the end though she agreed to stay that way.

"What your saying is he forced you to do something he eventually got you to agree to," Bear said rubbing his hands over his eyes. It was the good thing about Jack not actually being his daughter, he wasn't in denial about her having sex, he still just wished it was happening under his roof.

Glancing at Bear Jack sighed before saying, "Heh, if it makes it any better he didn't rape me."

"Just tied her up," Riddick said, only to grin as Jack bopped him on the arm. "I think he already knows what I did kiddo."

"Still," Jack insisted petulantly as she pulled her other wrist from him after she found that he was just holding her hand there. "He doesn't need to hear it. At least not while I'm here."

Bear watched them thinking, only when he got that universal "what?" look from both of them he waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Nothing, nothing. Just wondering about traveling with you two."

Riddick's eyes narrowed and Jack obviously didn't understand, but Sienna took the time to come in.

ooo

The day went by with more or less no incident. Jack even ate a little, after Riddick stared her down for five minutes which felt like five hours. She still insisted she wasn't hungry, but she ate an acceptable amount at both lunch and dinner. By the time things were winding down for the night Jack and Sienna were curled up on the floor cocooned in blankets as an old vid played on the screen. They were both asleep by the time the credits rolled and Bear merely flipped it onto regular TV.

"She doesn't really think you're going to stay and fight do you?" Bear asked looking at Riddick as he sat back down on the couch. The conversation he'd been having on the phone had been low and sounded murderous, no doubt talking to Imam. He had the news on, there was nothing new, nothing exciting there. Mostly talking about the government and the possibility of a draft in the future which had been in the news since the Necromongers had showed up.

"She knows I'm not, she's just hoping otherwise," Riddick insisted with a shrug as he settled and looked down at Jack. Jack had to know that he wasn't really going to stick around for the end of the world. Really he was just waiting for the right moment to get out of dodge. If he waited just the right amount of time there'd be no one left to put the bounty on his head. As long as no alarm was raised either it'd probably be assumed he died in the invasion. No one was going to show up on a planet the Necromongers destroyed to pick through the corps with bio scanners to make sure one person was dead. Besides even if they did who was to say he didn't convert?

"So along with sticking around you have to attend any meetings?" Bear asked as he rubbed his cheek lazily.

"Imam has so graciously given me two days to get settled into the house with Jack," Riddick offered. He was supposed to sit through the war meetings, or well pre-war meetings. Get all the information on the Necromongers, talk with that elemental woman. "Pretty much I'm gonna pretend until we bust out of here. Learn what I can at the same time so we can dodge around these fuckers and make a living."

"So we take the girls, my crew, and what little family two of them have," Bear said, planning this out. It was kinda like the old days deciding where to drop down to get pretty girls and fighters. "We gonna start transporting merchandise legit?"

"Have to be under your name... well your real name; Bear is still wanted in two solar systems," Riddick said as he reflected on the fact that Jack and Sienna might lead some sort of mutiny against them if they went into the slave trade. "Probably best we don't go back into the trade, the girls considered. Pirating might work though. Doubt either of them would object to that."

"We'll try a real transporting deal, if it doesn't work out we'll pirate on the side," Bear shrugged. It took real cons to talk about this stuff while watching the news, their girls innocently asleep at their feet. Grinning Bear added, "We're gonna need some of your stash to get started Riddick."

"You gotta sell the club, what you doing with that money?" Riddick asked, though he didn't particularly care. He had most of the cash from when he was running with Bear, all of the money from when he was a soldier in the wailing wars. Didn't count all the dough he was getting for sitting around in New Mecca. He might not have been the richest person in the verse, but he was probably the richest person to ever end up in slam. Considering that once you go to slam they take all the money from your accounts to help the guild pay for your incarceration. Richard B. Riddick was poor as fuck according to official record, but under the table he was set for life. At least he would be after he transferred the money out of his newly set up account and into fake one.

"Sienna's gonna need a good com system on the ship to set up security, we're gonna need food for a while, fuel," Bear grinned at the man, "I'm buying the extra's you're buying the heap."

"You better not be paying the crew until we got a job. We won't even have a heap until we get out of here and onto a different planet," Riddick insisted as he found Jack whimpering a little and moving closer to Sienna.

"Unless you wanna pilot, I'll be paying Milo once we got the ship," Bear said with a shrug. Milo had always been the pilot and the only one that was paid consistently when he'd been in the trade. That and he'd never had a problem with Milo, hell even Riddick had liked the man.

"He wasn't at the club, I would've remembered him," Riddick mumbled distractedly as Jack nuzzled her way nearly half under the other girl. It was true about Milo, he had liked and respected the man, but his attention was now mostly turned to the brunette.

"He's got a family now, owns a restaurant up in Jack's neck of the woods," Bear shrugged as he watched what was progressing on the floor before them. "It's not hugely successful, but he's not gonna have a problem selling it off when we give the go ahead, he's had offers for years for that corner shop he snagged."

Riddick hummed as Sienna blinked open her eyes and looked at Jack who she'd hugged a bit under her. The tri-colored haired girl looked up at him after that asking, her words sleep slurred, "She do dis to you?"

"Every now and then," Riddick shrugged as he motioned Sienna to get off Jack. "She's always been an affectionate sleeper. Likes to cuddle."

Sienna tiredly shuffled off Jack and sat herself up against Bear's legs. Riddick leaned down pulling Jack up into his arms. She squirmed around a bit but settled soon enough, cradled against Riddick's chest. Sienna watched only to look at the TV and frown. "You're just going to let her family burn," Sienna said with a frown.

"You cursed out a holy man today," Riddick shrugged.

She got it, he was asking what her point was. Sighing she rubbed at her eyes trying to make sense. "Jack likes Ziza." Sienna offered.

"I could kidnap Ziza if you think it'd make Jack happier," Riddick offered as he played with the hem of Jack's shirt. He really did have something against Jack's clothes, he wanted to be able to see whatever part of her he wanted. Even if it was just her stomach.

"You're serious aren't you?" Sienna asked shocked. She was tired, but she got the feeling he was actually serious about kidnapping a child from her parents. Jack, she got was different, they had history, Ziza though, Ziza was a normal child. Did he not think about what that could do to the little girl?

"I am. I have no intention of taking the Imam and his wife with us," Riddick said simply. Sienna was in on the plot, understood they couldn't tell Jack or she might do something stupid. Even more stupid than running away. Jack would probably hate him for taking the kid from her family though. Best to let Imam try to save his family and just keep Jack for himself. Keeping Jack happy was a daunting task in and of its self, besides the little one would probably take Jack's attention from him if she had to start caring for the child.

"Relax Sienna, I'm sure Riddick isn't going to add kidnapping a prime minister's daughter to his sheet," Bear said to calm the girls fears.

"I'll leave Ziza alone," Riddick shared offhandedly.

"Don't wanna be a daddy Riddick?" Bear chuckled as he got Sienna to crawl up onto his lap.

"Exactly." Riddick said simply as he nuzzled Jack's hair.

Sienna sighed thankfully. She'd almost caused a horrible thing. Kidnapping Ziza would have been a horrible outcome. The rich families supposedly had shelters for what was coming. Ziza would hopefully be fine. "Can I come to visit her until we ship out?" Sienna asked as she looked at Jack sleeping.

Riddick thought about it, about Jack. She'd get depressed if he locked her away completely especially since he wouldn't be there to keep her busy all the time. Even on the transport she had needed so much attention. He doubted it'd be much different now even if she was older. Jack wasn't the kind of person who did well truly alone, at least he got that feeling. "Yeah," Riddick shrugged before he stood up with Jack in his arms. "You can stop by while I'm doing those meetings, but she better still be there when I get back."

"Really?" Sienna asked, excited despite the fact that they obviously weren't permitted to leave the house in his absence.

"Gotta keep her happy," Riddick explained as he headed back towards the room they were sharing.

"He did that for his own selfish reasons... didn't he...?" Sienna questioned looking up at Bear, not really understanding how she got what she wanted so easily.

"Wouldn't doubt it," Bear said looking up at the ceiling briefly before looking to Sienna, "Riddick has always been about pleasing himself. A happy Jack makes for a happy Riddick, so to please himself he has to please Jack. So he's doing things for her, but really it's for himself."

"Because if he just wanted to make her happy unconditionally he'd just let her be free, or even stay and fight," Sienna thought aloud. Riddick really was a bastard. He was just a bastard that liked Jack.

"You got it," Bear nodded.

ooo

Riddick grinned as he discarded Jack's pants. He eyed her underwear before deciding it was best he leave those in place. Letting his gaze drift up he ogled her chest for a moment, tracing her breasts with his eyes. Then lifting his eyes further he found Jack looking at him. Shit. The blinds were open so she could see what he was up to, he'd yet to close them, and he wasn't wearing his goggles either.

"Could you not undress me while I'm sleeping?" Jack mumbled as she held her arms out for him. She was already mostly naked, and she was too tired to be angry. She was tired a lot lately.

"I'll work on getting it done before you're asleep," Riddick half joked as he leaned down over her nuzzling just under her neck. She let out an amused breath which he took as her not being upset with him and settled a little more weight on her.

"Riddick... I think... is there something wrong with me?" Jack asked as she nuzzled him back.

"You feeling okay kid?" Riddick asked pulling back from her. "You're not getting sick are you?" He leaned in to press his lips to her forehead, but she wasn't hot.

"I don't think I'm sick," Jack breathed as she looked up at him. "I just wanna sleep all the time, and when I don't wanna sleep I wanna be near you, or I wanna get away from you. I'm tired, but I feel like I've slept forever. I wanna see them tomorrow, but I don't. I feel like all I wanna do is lay here with you, if it means I don't have to face him. It's worse then when you left... you were doing your best to do what was right for me, but I felt like this then too. Only there was no one around to hold me... so it was like I had to get up. You wouldn't have wanted me laying around..."

Riddick stayed quiet. He couldn't pick apart what was wrong here. She had been sleeping a lot. She didn't want to eat. He wanted to be around her, so letting her sleep wasn't much to him. Still he didn't want her to sleep her life away, eventually he was going to want to play again. He'd expect her to play with him... Maybe she was depressed?...

A little more sex might help that...

No that's what he wanted.

After a moment he shuffled them around and pulled Jack up into his lap. Her legs sitting on either side of his Riddick brushed his fingers through her hair possessively. His mind was stuck somewhere between sex and sparring. Keep her active and busy... one way or the other. After a few moments he found Jack kissing him though. Her lips were testing, but eager. He return the kiss, leading her, and showing her. Jack really didn't have a lot of experience despite knowing how to move her body dancing, so it was best he show her what he liked.

She must have been going insane. There must have been something so very wrong with her. This made her feel good though. She liked Riddick's hands on her, even more so now that she could touch him. Jack's hands slid up and down his arms, before coming to rest on his shoulders. Riddick's own hands had taken up worshiping her sides. Jack pulled away from his lips for a moment to kiss his jaw, and down his neck. Really she knew she should stop. That she shouldn't be encouraging him.

Rubbing her back Riddick watched as she became timid again. He could see it on her face, she was unsure of what to do, if she wanted to go forward. Letting his hands slid down to her hips Riddick hummed lightly, _Jack has some pretty rockin' hips now._ Still slight, still bruised, Jack wasn't exactly shaped like an hourglass but... he palmed her hips She was a good handful.

"Jack, you gotta tell me what you want from me," Riddick sighed as one hand came up and cupped one of her breasts.

"What do you mean?" Jack mumbled tensely, her hands grabbing his wrist.

Riddick's eyes flashed to Jack for a moment before he let off. _Oops,_ gave the wrong impression there. "Up." Riddick told her as he pulled off his T-shirt from the day. She listened, her arms went up once his shirt cleared his head. Good she was learning. With her dressed he sat back, putting his hands back on her hips as she sat there, her hands resting on his forearms. "Didn't mean sex."

"I got that now..." Jack said sheepishly.

"You know I'm not letting you go, you've got no choice in the matter, but is there something I can do to make you less... unhappy?" Riddick would try to compromise. He watched her think about it, her eyes flitted back and forth like she was reading something. When she couldn't seem to come up with anything he licked his lips. He tried to compromise and she couldn't even spit out that she wanted to sleep in her own pajamas or even something that she new he wouldn't give her.

Jack frowned at him for a second before she grinned widely, "How much are you willing to give me?"

There that was more promising. "Depends on what you want, you might not get everything anyway," Riddick explained grinning lightly back at her.

"Uh... um... don't say anything until I'm finished," Jack insisted watching for his consent. He nodded and Jack looked at his chest saying, "I want Sienna to be able to visit me, at least while you're out playing war hero, and I'd like us to go out, like dancing... at Bears club. Also no withholding my clothes from me unless I do something really wrong." Jack paused for a second before looking at him hopefully asking, "And no slave tat...? You can chip me without tattooing me."

Starting at the beginning Riddick squeezed her hips a little, "I already agreed with Sienna that she can visit." Her eyes sparkled and he smirked feeling a bit proud of himself. Already on the way to making her happy. "We can go dancing at the Panic Room, I don't object to that..." He only now paused to think about her clothes. He liked her naked, but he also liked her happy. She was the only person in the whole verse that he wanted happy... "We're still showering together, and if I want you wearing my shirts to bed you will, but I won't take your clothes unless it's a major offense."

"What constitutes a major offense?" Jack cut in. She kind of wanted to stall on the last one, simply because she knew he was going to break her heart.

Pulling his hands from her hips he ticked them off on his fingers, "Running away, not backing down when I'm pissed, getting high, and trying to die."

"The second one shouldn't count, and do you really think I'm going to try and off myself?" Jack insisted as Riddick gripped her hips again.

"I'm about to be some lapdog of the New Meccan government, if I come home pissed off..." He looked at her meaningfully not finishing. She backed down, the look in her eyes telling him she was thinking rather hopelessly that if he came home angry she might as well just be naked and get it over with. "And no I don't think you are, but it's on the list. You start cutting, or any of that other shit that means I have to lock up everything remotely dangerous and the clothes come off and stay off until everything's healed." Honestly he didn't think that Jack was gonna hurt herself, but he was pretty sure she was in some kind of depression and he wanted it made clear that death wasn't an option open to her.

When nothing happened after that Jack sighed, "And the tat?"

"If you're shoulder was healed up already I'd just put the chip there. It's not, so it's happening Jack," Riddick told her, keeping a hold of her hips firmly.

"No tramp-stamp." Jack insisted glaring at him. She knew he wouldn't give up the chance to mark her more, make her just that much more his, but she needed to try. Knowing didn't stop it from hurting either.

Riddick grinned, moving his hand to trace her lower back. "Kay kid, where?"

"I don't want it Riddick," Jack growled. Only his hands were suddenly holding her face, bringing her really close to his. Jack whimpered, "You pick... just not the lower back..." He nodded with an agreeable grunt, but didn't tell her where he was putting it.

"Anything else?" Riddick asked as he looked her over.

Jack was quiet for all of a second before she said quickly, "I wanna spar."

"Now?" Riddick quirked an eyebrow. She'd perked up, but her eyes still spoke of the need for sleep. He'd take her down before she stood up.

"No... sleep now, I meant in general. I... I miss it, you use to spar with me, teach me stuff, even if you were really just batting at me because I was being stupid," Jack said coaxing Riddick's hands from her face so she could lean into him, nuzzling his neck. "I miss us Riddick..." Jack admitted against his hot skin. "I miss how we worked, I miss sparring, I miss... watching you work out... I miss playing with you."

Riddick hummed, pleased, "I'm right here kiddo, you just gotta stop resisting me." He finally came back for her, he could finally have her, and she was the only thing stopping him.

Looking up at him Jack whimpered, "You left me here... you left me here and I couldn't sleep. He got married, and they had a kid, but I couldn't ever leave! They had Ziza and each other but they still wouldn't let me leave! Even when I fought guys twice my size every day they wouldn't have them take my face off that god damn registry!" Jack pressed her face to his bare shoulder wanting him to hold her harder. "I just wanted you! I wanted to find you, but they wouldn't let me! They said you weren't good for me, that you didn't want to come back for me, that Fry made you! They said all those things and they weren't true, but I couldn't leave! And if I kept fucking up they were gonna send me to that boarding school! All they wanted was a perfect daughter but they already had theirs! I had to give you up, I couldn't be who I wanted to be except for two days a week..."

Riddick's grip tightened as she cried against him. She was practically molded to him, her whole body shivering. He didn't like what he was hearing. The holy man hadn't been keeping up his end as well as it'd seemed. It bothered him. What else didn't he know? He hadn't known about Sienna, he hadn't known about this. Growling Riddick pressed his face to her hair. He had to find out what else he'd missed. He needed to know why she dreamed about wolves, and why she was being so difficult with him.

"And then you just show up, and you didn't even come because of me!" Jack yelled before covering her mouth, keeping her forehead to his shoulder. She hadn't meant to yell that. Riddick didn't react like she thought he would though. He just kept holding her to him. His hand falling to the back of her head.

"Kid. What the hell? What are you talking about?" He asked gruffly. "You seemed okay in the holy mans house. You like Ziza. What's all of this?"

"You know... do you remember when Lajjun said you'd left your mark and they couldn't wash it off?" Jack asked, her voice muffled by her hands. Riddick gave an affirmative grunt into her hair and Jack crossed her arms over her stomach, "They thought I was too much like you. They tried to make me change, be a normal girl, but I was always in trouble. I was always grounded, I was always hiding from them... They weren't bad... but... I'm not normal Riddick. I couldn't handle being proper... I wanted you. They said that if I didn't start acting right, especially in front of Ziza they'd send me away. Not in those words... but..." Jack choked back a sob. "Why couldn't you have come back sooner? They didn't really want me. Before this... they were trying to decide how to get rid of me. College, military... they thought about having me married off..."

"You weren't happy." Riddick said as he moved her back a little.

"I use to tell him every day. I use to tell Imam I wasn't happy every single day, and that when you came back for me he'd be sorry... Lajjun would always say that you weren't coming back." Jack said wiping at her cheeks. "Imam would say because it'd never be safe, Lajjun always had the look that said you weren't coming back because you just didn't want me..." When she finally looked at Riddick she knew she was spinning this in the worst possible way. "But... but they weren't bad, they never hit me or nothing... they just wanted a normal girl."

"I told him to keep you happy and safe, and he didn't manage either fucking one," Riddick growled holding her face in his hands. Jack was his. Jack was his responsibility, the only living thing he wouldn't let go. "You weren't safe, and you weren't happy... I was serious when I gave him those instructions Jack."

"No... no, I'm... forget about it. I... we've stuck around this long so you must actually be in for the long haul. Riddick, he has a family. I was just trouble. I'm still trouble. Riddick just let it go," Jack begged as she put her hands to his chest. "So they wanted to ship me off to school if I hadn't met Sienna I probably would have been all for it, because I would've been able to skip out easier."

"They were gonna marry you off Jack." Riddick insisted, furious. Still couldn't tell her they were just waiting for the right moment. Even her best friend was keeping that little bit of info from her.

_That would be what he focused on. Imam just giving away what was his. _Jack sighed to herself.

"A lot of people in high ranking families have arranged marriages. I wouldn't have stuck around," Jack breathed hoping that he'd calm down. Of course he didn't. She was tired. She was still trying to cope with shit. Now was not the time for him to be forming idea's about ghosting her family.

"That's not the point." Riddick said as his hands moved to her shoulders.

"Riddick..." Jack breathed shaking her head. "I was safe... He couldn't control that some race was coming for New Mecca. He didn't wait that long to call you."

"They kept you from leaving the planet for six years Jack. Did you think that you'd be able to get out of that marriage? He was going to send you to some school, Jack, if mercs sniffed you out and you were just in some school they would have staked you out as bait," Riddick told her his hands itching to pull her out of her clothes. He wanted to claim her all over again. He really was an animal.

"Please... just forget about it Riddick..." Jack said her hands falling from his chest. She watched him warily, he was thinking, and he was not thinking pleasant thoughts. His hands moved to hold her sides and Jack pushed them away. His eyes focused on her but she could still see dark thoughts forming behind them. Only one thing to do. Swallowing down her nervousness Jack pulled his shirt off of her. "Forget about it Riddick," She grabbed his hand bringing it to her breast, "I'm just tired, and sad... I didn't mean anything I said..."

She knew how to be a distraction he'd give her that much. His other hand came up and he started to firmly manipulate her breasts. He'd been horny a moment ago right? He needed to find that again, because Jack was gorgeous. A heavy breath left her, her hands gripping his. He knew she was tired, but a little playing wouldn't hurt her. "For now." Riddick purred before he kissed her hard.

Jack whined at him when he pulled away, but as he pulled her so she was standing on her knees Jack's mind went blessedly blank. His mouth was hot on her skin, and it felt so good. Her arms wound around him as he worked her up. "Ah, Riddick..." Jack groaned as Riddick's hands rubbed up and down her back.

Jack had such sensitive breasts. Her hands were urging him on, but when he brought his lips from her breast to her neck she shuddered pressing closer to stop the cool hair from touching her skin. His fingers pressed against a sensitive spot and she jerked down away from his hand, only she came down in an awfully familiar way. He growled to her, pressing her down against him only he grabbed too hard.

"That hurts... Riddick," Jack gasped as she hooked her arms around his neck. It didn't stop her from nuzzling his neck just under his chin.

Riddick eased up on her hips, didn't want them black and blue forever. He was more than pleased when Jack moved against him on her own. Her hips rocked experimentally, she rolled her hips against him no doubt feeling him getting aroused, before she tried again more sure of herself. He moved up against her the next time she rubbed herself against him, making her gasp. Jack kissed Riddick, just as harshly as he would have kissed her, earning her a pleased rumble.

She'd been telling him no, no, no, but it'd be a lie to say she hadn't wanted him. Jack had compared every guy she'd ever met to Riddick. No one ever measured up, and feeling him burning against her after she basically offered herself up to him...

Well there was no reason to keep saying no now. At least no reason she cared to remember.

Moving back a little Jack started pulling at his belt looking up at him pleadingly and hot. Forget being tired...

"Please?" Jack asked after she got his belt undone and unbuttoned his pants.

Urging Jack back, she moved off his legs towards the foot of the bed. She asked nicely after all. He pulled out of his boxers and pants, and reached for Jack. She watched him for a second before she wiggled out of her panties and crawled back to him.

ooo

Jack nuzzled Riddick as he started to coax her awake. His voice humming in her ears. His fingers drifted over her back, and Jack shifted around over him mumbling, "Five more minutes..."

"Kid we gotta get moving, I already gave you a half hour," Riddick chuckled as he sat them up. He rubbed her back gently, letting her kiss his face in an attempt to bribe him into letting her sleep more.

"_Please Riddick, just a little longer..." Jack whined as Riddick brushed his hand over her stubble short hair. She was twelve, tired, and breakfast didn't seem all that important, she'd spent more than a year living without more than just breakfast. Leaning up she tiredly peppered his cheek with kisses trying to get him to agree with her._

_Why she thought kisses on the cheek would persuade him neither of them were ever quite sure. Still..._

_Riddick grinned and ignored Imam as he watched disapprovingly, already washed, dressed, and finished with morning prayer. Instead of acknowledging the holy man Riddick just stood up with the young girl saying, "I'll carry ya Jack." She was a cute kid. She clung to him falling right back to sleep in his arms. She nuzzled against him now and then. Was awake enough to stand leaning against him by the time they got to mess hall._

Jack yawned as Riddick sat her on the edge of the bed. She watched with a light blush as Riddick moved around the room packing up their things. He was so comfortable naked, she couldn't help but be embarrassed though. He dropped the duffel next to the bed as he turned to the closet. When he turned back he had some of her clothes which he set next to her on the bed.

Another yawn escaped her, but she still stood stepping black boyshorts, then a skirt... "Riddick... no..." Jack protested weakly when she figured out which skirt it was. Riddick just turned her around and zipped up the black pleated skirt, it was pinstriped and oh-so short...

"You will wear this," Riddick growled at her. It was final, it was firm, and there was no discussion in his voice.

"But Ziza," Jack whimpered as she flipped back around to look at Riddick. The tone of his voice was more like a warning to her. She always had a problem heeding warnings...

"I put underwear on you," Riddick said as he got her to let him put on her bra.

Jack bit the inside of her cheek. Why was he doing this? What was up with him? He pulled her into a cropped long sleeved black shirt and Jack looked up at him angrily. "What the hell Riddick?" She'd never wear this in front of them.

Riddick wanted to remind her that he told her to listen to him, but he stopped and leaned in close rubbing his cheek against hers. "Kiddo. Please wear it for me." Riddick requested as kissed her neck.

The please threw her for a loop.

"Why?..." Jack asked, even though she knew it'd be pushing it.

"You're baby sis will be out. You and Sienna can visit her when I'm out," Riddick explained kissing the side of her mouth. "We probably won't be at the holy man's place too long, I want you to wear this for me babe."

"You wanna show them what they did..." Jack whimpered before kissing him lightly. Trying to appease him. Hoping he'd change his mind. Trying to ignore that he was still very naked in front of her.

"That's part of it Jack," Riddick told her as he brushed his hands down over the skirt. "I also want you to wear it for me." He wanted to test that submissive part of her that she denied having. They'd do a little master/slave play. Give her a feel for who was boss and the fun they could have together if she really accepted it. She'd be submissive for him, if for no one else she would for him. He'd see to it. First to coax her into it. "Please. Jack." He purred brushing his hands through her hair.

"I... I guess..." Jack said, her voice shaky before Riddick pressed her back so she was sitting on the bed again.

"Good," Riddick said patting her head before he turned back to the closet taking his clothes for the day out of it.

Jack looked towards him as she tried to make her brain understand what was going on today. It was like Riddick was still fucking with her. There was nothing more he could spring on her. She was a slave. He was gonna chip her. He was... Jack watched as he pulled on black cargoes. Black tank... "If you're feeling nostalgic Riddick you might wanna put me in some baggy clothes and shave my head." Jack quipped at him.

Riddick shot a look at her, and she shut up quick, looking away from him. Sighing he walked over to her after pulling on some black socks. "Jack this is going to be a long day for you. Don't push it and make it worse." Riddick told her as he looked down at her.

"Do as you say, when you say it..." Jack breathed listlessly.

"Hey," Riddick snapped getting her to look at him. When she did he smirked saying, "Don't get all dead eyed on me kid." When she looked at him blankly, just to piss him off, he figured, he leaned down chuckling, "Jack do I need to give you a quickie? Perk you up a bit?"

Her eyes widened and she blushed, shaking her head rapidly. "No!"

"There we go," Riddick grinned darkly. "There's some life in you yet."

Frowning at him Jack grabbed his wrist saying, "Riddick, what I said last night..."

"Which part Jack?" Riddick asked letting her keep him. He even stayed bent at the waist to stay close for what she wanted to say.

"The part that made you angry at Imam and Lajjun..." Jack trailed off staring into his silver eyes. Riddick nodded to show he knew what part she meant. The look in his eye said he wasn't pleased with Imam. "You're not going to do anything to them are you?"

"I'm not going to kill them," Riddick offered standing up all the way.

"I mean it Riddick," Jack growled. "They took care of me."

"Sienna and Bear took care of you, it's insulting to them to say that the holy man and his wife did as much," Riddick said as he pulled Jack to her feet.

"They did though Riddick, I was just focusing on the bad..." Jack said digging her heels in to try and keep him from moving her. "I told you I thought there was something wrong with me, I was upset."

"Kid, I'm not going to kill them," Riddick reaffirmed. He wouldn't kill them, but he wasn't going to save them either. "You're just going to wear this for me." He tilted her chin up pressing his lips to hers. "I won't even hurt them, hows that?"

"Better..." Jack nodded, still a little unsure.

ooo

"_He's shaming us, bringing her here dressed like that." _

He didn't put her in a short skirt. If he was trying to shame her, she'd know. Riddick kissed Jack softly, causing her to give him a lopsided smile, her eyes shining in that way that said he'd done something she liked. _That's right Jack, Riddick good, them bad._ They were sitting in the living room waiting for this breakfast that Lajjun still insisted on them eating. Imam had been called in to help. As it turned out he was just getting bitched at.

They continued to squabble, Jack could hear them but she was ignoring them. She had half a mind to do something to really make them think what she was in was shameful. There were worse things she could be wearing. In the right combination she could be in something much... skimpier. She was even wearing combat boots, and not "fuck me" heels. At least that's what Riddick liked to call stiletto's of any kind. High, useless for getting anywhere fast, and only good if you got more than one good kick in. Things Jack was banned from wearing since she was twelve and he laid out his first set of rules for survival when he saw her eying a pair in a shop on the transport.

Jack couldn't walk in them, and had no intention of learning.

Now though... she could use a pair just to get Lajjun's panties in a twist.

She leaned up and kissed the side of his mouth. After his welders goggles angled to look at her and she grinned at him. He grinned back at her and dropped his arm from the back of the couch to around her shoulders. Whispering Jack said, "I could really be shameful, give you a lapdance."

"Wouldn't object," Riddick chuckled under his breath. He watched as Jack uncrossed and recrossed her legs, looked at the skirt, and the curve of her leg. His eyes lingered on the bruises he could just see above the top of her skirt's waistband. He'd seen both Abu's and Lajjun's eyes on them. Probably thought he'd been holding her down, in a non-consensual way. "Do you think the holy man thinks I'm raping you?"

"On some level... I think they both _hope_ you are, it would mean I'm still a victim and not a willing participant," Jack said with a shrug, keeping her voice low. It was horrible to think that, but it was probably, most likely true. "He use to ask when you were out... doing whatever you were doing, if you touched me. Of course I knew what he meant, and told him to fuck off that you weren't like that."

"You ever tell 'im that it happened to you before?" Riddick asked, despite the fact that he remembered them making a very black and white deal to never talk about it again unless Jack felt she needed to. Left her open to talk to someone, but for him never to ask or pry.

"No," Jack said as she looked at the floor, uncrossing her legs and leaning her arms on them. A lot of the time it was just a blurring gap of memory, other times she remembered his breath on her, him pulling her nightshirt off... The knife she'd taken to protect herself. How she hadn't meant to gut him, just cut him, but he'd been hurting her, and undoing his belt... His hand came away from her to try and keep his stomach inside his body... Blinking away the memory Jack continued, "Never told no one but you. He only asked if _you_ touched me, I didn't feel the need to tell him it'd happened before, he probably would have thought I was trying to tell him that you really were. Here... they thought I was fucked up enough. I didn't want them to think I was damaged goods."

"_What if they go around the city like that? Are any of Jack's clothes still in her room?" _

They were trying to be quiet. Wasn't working.

Riddick growled, but when Jack roughly pushed her fingers through her hair he cut it off and instead rubbed rubbed back comfortingly. "Okay... Didn't tell them," Riddick said lowly glaring in the direction of the kitchen, "Did you tell Sienna?"

"No... but I think she and Bear know. See it enough... you just know. It's happened to Sienna I'm pretty sure," Jack said with a shrug. "I can tell, she almost took off some guys hand when he slid his hand up her thigh under her skirt. Bear actually broke his hand. Don't react like that unless something worse 'as happened."

Stuck somewhere between wishing he'd taken Jack with him, and just wishing he'd know Bear was on the planet to have him watch her Riddick was sure he wanted out of here as fast as possible. It was turning into a shitty day, mucked up with the past, and he didn't want Jack feeling even worse when they were on their own and he chipped her. "Jack." Riddick said getting her to look at him. When she did he took her chin and kissed her. It wasn't rough, but it was thorough.

When he pulled back Jack smiled at him saying, "I'm okay Riddick."

* * *

AUTHORS NOTES:

SO! Raise your hand if you hate the chapters that are purely to get you from point A to point B!

Anyway. Yes. This more or less to transition from Sienna's and Bears place to the house. The next chapter should prove to be very interesting. Some things are going to happen. Fights are going to be had.

One good thing about this chapter is that it's touching on what happened before the story. Sort of a way to answer any possible "Why Jack ended up the way she did?" and a "What's Jack's problem with Riddick?" questions. And yes I was having Jack sleep so often for a reason. There's a method to my madness! ... I promise. *shifty eyes*

REVIEW REPLIES:

**RatedRGirl83**- Yesh updates! I'm glad you feel so strongly about it lol. And I'm always happy to do Riddick justice. Oh he'll always get more of Jack, and they're gonna have fun (in Riddick's sense of the word) in the next chapter. Thanks again.

**jenefaner** - Lol thank you greatly. I'm happy to be of service, and I've always believed that yum is just a good way to describe Riddick in general so yay for that. ^_^

Reviews, replies, and comments are welcomed and appreciated.


	8. Mine

She wasn't okay anymore!

Jack had her face buried in her hands as she choked back sobs, her shoulders shook as she tried not to be too noisy. She had sunk to the floor of an alley she'd run into. Riddick stood over her his hand on the wall as he looked down at her. He wasn't saying anything, but his face said it all. Bad things were going to happen to someone but he wasn't quite sure who at the current moment in time. Jack? She just wanted to continue sobbing until she couldn't anymore.

"They won't let me see her Riddick!" Jack gasped into her knees after she brought them up to her chest. "They're disowning me! They never want to talk to me again! They never want to see me again! _They_ did _this _to me!"

He could kill them.

Riddick knelt down practically on top of her, wanting her to feel secure, but he didn't know what else to do. He could shelter her from the big bad world from now on, but it wouldn't make the holy man and his wife change their minds. It wouldn't unsay what they said to her.

"_You're going to be someones property. Do you really want Ziza to see you like this?"_

"_You never wanted to be here in the first place. You can finally have what you wanted, to be with Mr. Riddick."_

As Jack fought, talked back, it just got worse fast. They basically attacked her. The only reason Riddick didn't really attack them was that Jack hadn't wanted his help. Told him, word for word, to "sit the fuck down, and shut the hell up."

He could kill them, and he wouldn't even be charged.

Normal people would tell her it was okay, or that it was going to be okay. What they did and said though, even Riddick knew it wasn't okay. That what they did would never be _okay_. What they did to her was shitty, even an animal could see that. If they didn't want her they should have just said so. Blunt, harsh, but fast, like taking a punch to the face. Over before you really realized it happened. Riddick sighed and rubbed the back of her neck gently, it was all he could do for her.

Only very suddenly Jack looked up at him, and before she even knew what she was asking him to do she blurted out, "Hit me."

Riddick paused, narrowing his eyes at her from behind his goggles. Anyone else he probably would have punched them just for asking something so stupid. "We'll spar later." Riddick said as he watched her.

"No, now, please Riddick just hit me," Jack begged, grabbing his wrist and trying to force his hand to her cheek. Only he just cupped the side of her face. "You can hit me as hard as you want. It's not like anyone will care. Just. Hit. Me."

He was glad he was already blocking any escape routes. He could see that desperate, pleading, look in her eyes. "Stop it Jack," Riddick growled down at her. Moving around onto her knees Jack leaned up, and kissed his chest and neck. Shaking his head at her Riddick started to stand up but stopped, finding Jack hooking her fingers in his belt-loops. "That'll get me to do something to you Jack but it won't be hitting you. Now let's go."

ooo

Riddick watched Jack step inside their new home before he turned to the military man that led the way here. "I need you to deliver a message back to Imam."

"Prime Minister Al-Walid?" The man asked tensely.

"Yeah, him. Tell him he didn't keep up his end about keeping the girl happy, and we're going to be chatting about that real soon," Riddick said before he walked in the house shutting the door behind him. The guy's face had been pretty priceless, but there were more important things at hand. Like where Jack went. He dropped their duffel near the couch in the living room and pulled his goggles down around his neck in the dim house. After confirming she wasn't in the room he expanded his senses. The second he did, he wasn't pleased with what he was smelling.

Blood.

A few long strides had him in the kitchen. Bloody knife, hand prints on the cabinets. On the wall. Quickly he moved through the kitchen to the dining room. Blood marked up the table. "Shit," he growled moving out through an archway he came back into the living room. Blood touched the wall where she'd swung around the dividing wall to get up the stairs. Probably when he walked into the kitchen.

How much blood was this kid spilling?

Something kicked on his head head...

Jack could feel her heart in her chest, could feel it pounding in her hand. She cut a little deep there. Where the hell was this house's servants passages? She'd run into the gym, but the heavy duty door spoke of a converted safe-room. She darted into the next room just as Riddick got up the stairs. Bedroom! Bingo! Her hands smeared blood on the walls on either side of the door, her cut hand landed on the bed as she bolted around it too hastily. She got in the closet and started pushing her hand around the top corners she found the button and had it open as Riddick busted into the room. She got inside and ran down the small hall hurting her hand more as she hit the next trigger in her haste to get the next door open. In swung open, only for Jack to yelp as she was dragged out of a panel in the wall.

He didn't wait for what she had to say. He shoved her back into a desk, only to growl and shove her back across it when a particularly sharp letter opener tore a nasty cut across his upper arm. He didn't know if she'd been trying to lodge that into his arm, or his heart, but he wasn't taking chances with her right now. She scurried off the table and back out of the room. He was close behind her though, grabbing her and shoving her into the wall.

"What do you think you're doing?" Riddick hollered at her.

Jack was quiet for a second before she turned her head to the side dropping the letter opener to the ground. After a second more she grinned saying, "Putting my scent all over the house." Riddick shoved her around after that, grabbing her hand and bringing it to his mouth. "So it'll be easier to play hide and seek." She taunted as she watched and felt him lapping at her hand, loosing her grin as he glared at her his eyes flashing.

ooo

"I can't fucking fight in this skirt!" Jack growled her breathing heavy as she held Riddick at bay with one of his shivs. Okay so she wasn't so much holding him at bay, as he was humoring her. "This isn't fair Riddick!" This wasn't even sparring, this wasn't him batting her around like when she was a child. This was just cruel. He wasn't giving her an opening and he wasn't fighting back. He was just blocking her and restraining her, only to let her go when she struggled too much.

"Not supposed to be," Riddick chuckled as he tilted his head at her.

He had no right using that puppy dog move on her. "What do you want from me then?" Jack asked desperation leaking into her tone.

"Stop fighting Jack," Riddick said simply.

Throwing down the knife Jack growled, she was just sick of this. "Fine Riddick, I'm done!" Jack huffed trying to head for the door only he got in her way not letting her leave. "Riddick!" Jack yelled in frustration at him. "Move!" Only he didn't say anything, didn't move, just smirked at her. Rage welled up in her... but only for a moment before she felt depression seeping in.

Her eyes went sad and she looked down at her hand a bandage crudely tied around it. It was stained red. Jack couldn't see it, and didn't seem to be noticing it from Riddick's point of view, but the wound on her shoulder busted open a bit. There was some blood that had trailed down her back and was smeared across her lower back under the cropped shirt. Her eyes watered but she didn't start bawling again like he almost expected her to.

"I... if they... Si- Bear sa... Hit me." Jack insisted again when nothing she wanted to say would come out. Only this time he did. Riddick's fist connected with her stomach, making her crumble to her knees. Then before she could stop him, he left the room slamming the door shut and no doubt locking her in. Whimpering a little Jack sat with the pain, not moving. She knew what was coming next.

When Riddick came back he found her huddled in a corner, refusing to look at him. "Do you want me to hit you again?" Riddick asked as he set down a metal briefcase in the middle of the room. She shook her head. "Good. Lights off."

Jack whined at the inky blackness that closed in on her before she could do anything to stop it. Before she could look to see exactly where panel that controlled the locks and lights were. It probably wouldn't open or turn on the lights for her, but it'd glow red and beep. Pretty much every house panel's way of telling you to fuck off. Jack chanced it anyway and darted for where the door was, only Riddick grabbed her and shoved her to the ground on her back. Thrashing wildly Jack didn't yell or scream at him, it was a waste of energy. She just fought blindly. Until he kissed her.

She was shocked and she tried to push at him for a moment before she whimpered against his lips. After that he pulled away, but he still knelt over her legs, and as she sat up she could sense him in front of her. He wasn't there for long though and moved off of her. She hoped he was still by, reached for him, only for him to grab her wrist.

"Give me your other hand." Riddick demanded as he produced a pair of handcuffs. She couldn't see them, or him for that matter, but she obviously sensed that something was up. Jack held her other hand close to her belly, bringing her knees up to protect it. "I'm not gonna hurt you, just give me your hand."

"You're going to tie me up and leave me here," Jack blurted out nervously before burying her face against her legs.

_Smart kid._

"I'm not going to leave you here," Riddick offered as he shifted closer. When she didn't move, neither did he. He had all day. It wouldn't even take an hour before Jack would get nervous about him being angry at her. Only he wasn't. He was being patient. Waiting.

Jack felt suffocated. Riddick was still holding her other hand. She couldn't see anything, and her senses were all haywire. Jack wanted her sight, Jack wanted to be able to see. What she really wanted was to be able to gauge his reaction. Was he angry, or was he just sitting there? If he was just sitting there she could do the same. If he was angry... the longer she waited the more he'd make her pay for it. That wasn't so much a deciding factor though. Riddick wouldn't kill her. No matter how angry he got he wouldn't kill her and she knew that. She imagined to him killing her would be like a junkie trying to go off their drug of choice cold-turkey, only Riddick wouldn't be able to fish her out of the trash or hit up a dealer on the corner. However she also knew that while he wouldn't kill her he'd probably take pleasure in making sure she was sorry she was alive in one way or another.

Biting her lip a little Jack closed her eyes against the disorienting blackness before she held out her other hand for him. Thick cuffs clamped down over her wrists, tightening to the right size. Jack held her breath so she wouldn't whine, only taking her hands back when Riddick let go of her.

"Not leaving," Riddick told her before he stood up and retrieved the case, her fear still spiked for a second. He set it down beside her half watching as she fingered the cuffs around her wrist. Probably trying to figure out which kind they were. She wasn't getting out of them. Setting the case down he popped it open causing her to pause before she shifted away from him. He looked in the case. Simple set up. Black ink in a tiny container, what he asked for. A tattoo-gun. Her papers strapped in a folder to the top of the case. A small syringe with clear liquid in it sat next to the tattoo gun. It would contain the chip that marked her as a slave. The night they jumped planet Sienna would have to encrypt it and rewrite the tracking program. In their room were the ornamental bracelets New Meccan slaves wore. Hers were black glinted nicely.

He looked back at Jack, she was shivering, he could smell waves of fear on her. Licking his lips some small part of him asked if he wanted to do this to her. A bigger part of him answered yes. She'll accept it with time. "You know you've always been mine Jack." Riddick said, didn't need to question it.

"Where can I get eyes like that?" Jack chuckled. Gallows humor. That hysterical kind of laugh of someone who knew they were thoroughly fucked.

Good she knew the exact second she became his. He hummed agreeably kissing her cheek.

"You warned me something like this could happen." Jack chuckled more opening her eyes to look into the black. "You said without you someone could snatch me up, chip me, and you would have to kill them and dig the chip out. You didn't warn me you'd be the one snatching me up and chipping me." Glaring, a glare meant for Riddick if she could see him, Jack growled, suddenly not hysterically giggly "You warned me that people would glut on my body, break me. You going to do that too? What about all the other things you warned me about? You gonna make me wish I was never born?"

Riddick shut the case and grabbed her forcing her to stand with him. He growled at her, found it unsatisfying that she couldn't look him in the eye and called for the lights. Her eyes adjusted to the bare minimum light he ordered for her and she glared at him. "We're going to have a nice little chat Jack. When we're finished with this chat you're going to ask me to mark you. You won't ask because I told you to, you will do it willingly." She didn't believe him, but she would in time. "I'm telling you this because I know what's going on in your fucked up little head, because I know your mind. I know how it works, because you're mine."

"I'm just the way you made me Riddick," Jack countered darkly. "I'm your fucked up little girl."

The way he grinned... most people didn't live long after seeing that grin. His teeth showed, his eyes glinted wildly. First time he gave it to someone he had in cuffs instead of being in cuffs about to kill the person holding him. "That's right Jack." Riddick barked out a laugh, "Now daddy's going to tell you exactly what's going on here."

"Careful Riddick, you don't want to be my father, it'll kill you," Jack laughed humorlessly.

"You're mine." Riddick said ignoring her comment. He didn't know how her first father died, but he sure wasn't going to bite it by Jack's hands. Anyway, he like the taste of saying she was his, he said it again, "You are mine. You're my little sister, my daughter, my slave, my mate. You, in a different world, would be my one true equal. But here. Now. You're mine." Riddick moved down onto his knees in front of her, one hand grabbed the slack in the cuffs to make sure she didn't try anything, his lips finding her stomach, making the muscles there quiver. "You're my submissive child."

"Whom you fuck," Jack said meaningfully. If he wanted to be every major male figure in her life he damn well better own up to it. She couldn't be his sister and his daughter without some … most of the things he did with her being very very wrong.

Riddick glared up at her at her for a moment before he shrugged in the end and went back to kissing her stomach. He knew what she meant. What he was doing right now was _wrong._ He owned up to it, "My submissive child whom I fuck." She tensed. He grinned. "You want to be controlled Jack, it's probably the one thing in your life you've never had properly. Your problem lies in accepting it. You get comfortable, you realize it and get depressed, and then you fight it. This whole cycle you've been going through over and over lately. I'm damn well sick of it."

Jack didn't say anything just looked down at him as he spoke against her skin.

"You, my beautiful Jack, you are what I'm not. You're soft, vulnerable, you whimper and whine. You're alive, and warm. You need order." Riddick purred at her. "Without order you'd go crazy. You're going crazy because you won't let me give you order."

"You're fucking with me." Jack insisted looking up at the ceiling. She couldn't take this. Riddick wouldn't give her order, he'd give her orders.

"In a way," Riddick confirmed. "But I'm telling you the truth you need to hear."

"Liar."

"So they say," Riddick hummed as he stood back up letting go of her. "You love me." She held her breath. "You wouldn't put up with me otherwise. You've loved me since you were a child. You're the only thing I care about in this world. I like that you're what I'm not. If you're happy, I'm happy."

"You're happy when you make me upset." Jack insisted, backing away from him.

"I'm not exactly _right_ Jack," Riddick watched her with a raised brow. He was clearly asking where she thought she was going. "But neither are you. I'm a murderer. I was hired by the government and given a sacrifice because they think I'll be some great warrior for them. I am a monster. You still sleep peacefully in my arms. You willingly give me your body. You love me Jack. What does that say about you?"

Jack stopped backing up. What did that say about her?

"I told you this the first day. I'm the safest thing in your world Jack. If you can accept being mine, you'll get what you want from me," Riddick said as he watched her push at the cuffs. "I'll protect you, I'll take care of you. I'll be in charge, and I'll never let you go."

"I don't want this Riddick," Jack whined at him as she turned away trying harder to push the cuffs down over her hands even though she knew she'd have to dislocate her thumb to get anywhere.

"You do." Riddick insisted as he walked after her, putting his arms around her. "What would you do if I just left again. Let you out of the cuffs put you outside with your things, and then jumped planet?"

Jack felt her chest tighten traitorously.

"You'd want me back," Riddick breathed against her cheek. "If I left you here, even if you went to live with Bear and Sienna, you'd want me back. You said it yourself Jack, you missed us."

"I hate you so much sometimes Riddick." Jack breathed as she leaned back into him. Why did he have to know her so well? Why couldn't he be a stupid beast. Why should he be able to fuck with her when she couldn't with him? How did he do this to her from worlds away?

"Probably healthy," Riddick chuckled. "Mentally at least, hating me can get you hurt sometimes physically." He prodded her shoulder. Might be time to seal it up with some synthetic skin. It'd keep it all safe. She jerked in his hold. Kept trying to pull away even after he stopped prodding. Not good. He nuzzled her neck before telling her, "You're the only thing I've ever loved Jack."

Jack stopped. That wreaked of grade-A Riddick mind-fuckery. "How often do you love me?" Jack asked, had to force herself not to call him a liar. Knew he wouldn't like that. Especially if he was telling the truth.

Licking her neck slowly he thought about that. "On a fairly regular basis," Riddick said his mouth hot on her skin.

That was definitely a Riddick answer. I love you, just not all the time. Jack sighed. Then she asked, clearly already displeased with his yet to be said answer, "Like when I'm naked?"

"Not gonna lie, I love you very often when you're naked," Riddick laughed, it was a deep, dark, belly laugh.

"Please tell me there are times when I'm dressed and awake that you love me," Jack pleaded with him her head hanging.

"The feeling occasionally hits. When you're strong, when we play, when you look at me like I'm the world." Riddick admitted, watching her. Granted the last time she looked at him like that she was naked, and the time before that she was a child.

"Damn it Riddick," Jack cursed as she jerked away from him. She turned around glaring at him, only to sink down onto the floor. "You left, but you still managed to fuck me up. You left but it was like you were just out for the night, that we kept missing each other because we were busy. You should have just taken me with you. You should have taken me with you, because then this wouldn't have happened." Jack didn't want to say it. She didn't want to be a slave, but she couldn't live in this limbo with them going at each other and her wanting him to hurt her. He reached out and rubbed her cheek making an encouraging noise. She had to believe she was more than just his slave. That she was everything else he said to. She bit the inside of her cheek. "Just... just do it Riddick..." Jack breathed looking away from him.

"Mmh Jack," Riddick hummed nuzzling her, coaxing her to him. Holding her against him and pulling her cuffed wrists up, putting the slack behind his neck, Riddick made a couple of pleased noises kissing her face. He knew she'd give in. "My Jack."

"We've gotta get out of here..." Jack whined as Riddick picked her up.

"What do you mean Jack?" Riddick asked as he walked them back to the middle of the room, sitting down with her in his lap.

"Away from New Mecca... Fuck the deal... Fuck _them_." Jack said them with enough venom to take down a mule team.

Riddick kissed her, nice and soft. Coaxing. She was hurt but he wasn't sure she'd still feel this way later. He still wasn't telling her they really were getting out of New Mecca. "Can I uncuff you?" He was pleased to see her actually think about it. She asked him to do it, but he knew better than to just assume that she'd stay still when he started.

"I... I'll be good," Jack said kissing his cheek. "You can take them off." She'd said for him to do it. She'd suck it up and let mark her.

Riddick grinned at her, taking her arms from around his neck and pulling out the key to unlock them.

ooo

Jack frowned lightly at her wrist as Riddick unlocked the door...

A barcode...

It wasn't as bad as she thought it be. The underside of the wrist... Riddick didn't look at her any differently. Things didn't feel any differently. She was just hyper aware of her wrist...

"Thirteen, twenty-five, ten, thirteen, eleven..." Jack mumbled before she looked up to see Riddick standing in front of her. "Combination you don't want to forget?" She asked softly still unsure about this even though it couldn't be taken back now.

"You're reading it wrong." Riddick told her before he gathered her up into his arms. Her legs went around his waist, and he spared a hand to grab the now closed briefcase. He grinned at her as she inspected the tattoo he gave her. Trying to decipher it upside down since he did the tattoo facing her palm. It was for him anyway.

"Is it a date... with... extra numbers?" Jack asked as he walked into the study she'd stabbed him in and set the case down on the desk. Then he moved them back out of the room and down the hall to the master bedroom.

"No," Riddick shook his head lightly.

"Did you write random numbers on me?" Jack asked pushing his face away from hers when he tried to kiss her.

"They have meaning Jack," Riddick sighed as he let her down onto the floor and started nosing around for their things. Supposedly they'd already been set up. He was interested to know where things were put. Had to check all of it for bugs and trackers... "Go get the duffel Jack, for once I won't have to spend hours looking for this electronic crap by hand."

"No." Jack said petulantly as she stood there stubbornly, arms crossed over her chest legs braced slightly apart.

"They have meaning Jack, if you can't figure it out, I can't help you. Now go get the damn duffel bag," Riddick growled as he started pawing through the closet. Only his things were in here. Damn holy man. Hand over Jack, purposely have them put her junk in another room. When he looked over his shoulder he was not pleased to see Jack standing there. "You can go get the duffel bag, or we can break in the bed. Your choice."

There was a pause before Jack insisted as she turned on her heal and walked from the room, "You know threatening me with sex isn't going to make me want it Riddick,"

She had a point.

Riddick looked after her for a moment. Probably not the time to be ordering her around, and threatening her with something he hoped she'd participate in later... Grumbling Riddick moved back towards the door to go after her. He wasn't going to change just because her feelings were hurt, but right now just maybe wasn't the time to send her out of his sight.

Low and behold he was right.

He carefully moved down the steps stopping on the one above the one she was sitting on.

"Ziza wouldn't understand any of this..." Jack breathed as she looked at her wrist. "Maybe it's better that I just fade from her memory... She has so much going for her. Not like I was."

"You could've been anything you wanted kid," Riddick said gruffly as he sat down.

"Nah... I was always waiting for you. I was positive for the first year you were gone that you'd realize you wanted me back and were going to be back any second. After it faded a little but I was sure I wouldn't hit twenty-one before you came back. You ruined me Riddick," Jack said as she leaned forward looking at the ground her head in her hands.

"Then why the hell were you so angry kid?" Riddick asked looking at her like she was purposely being difficult.

"I think we've had this conversation already. You didn't come back for me. You didn't come back because you wanted me back. You came back... for whatever reason you had for hearing out Imam. If he'd never called on you... you never would have came back to New Mecca." Jack said sadly. "You would have stayed away picturing me as a kid forever."

Sighing Riddick leaned back on the stairs. "Jack I would've come back when I got wind of those Necro-things. I was in cryo while I was away from you, before us I was in slams.. I didn't know about them. I would have got the fastest ship out here for you. Taken you at night when you were sleeping to save time of having to fight with you about it. Warm you back up to me after we were in space."

Jack didn't say anything, just kept staring at her wrist. That is until Riddick reached for her pulling her up onto his lap. "Come on Jack." Riddick purred to her. "You wanted me back."

Frowning at him Jack climbed from his lap and walked off the stairs saying, "You're an arrogant bastard Riddick." Turning she looked at him continuing, "What would you have done if I'd fallen in love with someone?"

"Killed them." Riddick growled rising from his seat.

"You weren't here, if I had fallen in love what right would you have to do that?" Jack asked heatedly as she stood her ground.

"Mine." Riddick growled as he moved down the stairs standing right in front of her. "You're mine. I saved you. I could have left you right there with the holy man in that cave. Think Fry was the reason I went back out into that hell? Fuck no." He grabbed her arms making sure she didn't run off on him when it got too hard for her to listen. "Do you think she could have made me do anything I hadn't wanted to? That weak-willed bitch that couldn't even kill a few people in their sleep to save her own ass? She was walking up onto that ramp and I was looking back wondering where the real survivor was. Wondering if you'd done something stupid too instead of staying right the fuck where I put you for safe keeping."

Jack took in a shuddering breath as she closed her eyes on him. "You were going to leave us there. I didn't blame you. I never had a doubt that you would do exactly what you wanted to... Fry changed your mind..."

"Jack. Don't you think the god damn smart thing to do would have been to take the ship and _fly _it over to the fucking cave?" Riddick asked as he pressed his forehead to hers. "Fry was an idiot, I didn't like the holy man. I was waiting for them to be picked off."

Jack shuddered. "Then why'd you leave me with Imam."

"I was feeling human. I had the holy man praying eighteen fucking hours a day in my ear. Preaching about how you were full of life and I'd just corrupt it. That you wouldn't be safe. And you were climbing all over me making me wanna do things I had no business doing to you." Riddick reeled in his control. "You were soft, so soft, and Imam was corrupting my image of you. Telling me shit that made me think of how you would'a done anything I asked you to. When all I'd been thinking about was keeping you happy."

Jack keened as Riddick picked her up his hands gripping her thighs. "Riddick..." He left her because they'd made him soft.

_That's right Jack, I left because I would've fucked up because I was worried, instead of having a handle on myself. _Riddick moved them over to a couch sitting down with her straddling his lap. She sat there looking like a rightly scolded child.

"I... Riddick I've never loved anyone else." Jack said looking at her hands as she used them to keep her skirt down.

"I know." Riddick smirked up at her before he shuffled her off him. "Now stay here while I figure out if there are any bugs in the house."

ooo

"Imam you are one wrong word from being brutally murdered in. your. sleep." Riddick assured Imam as he looked at the man on his vid phone. The picture showing up next to the one of Jack in the kitchen making dinner. She put on some shorts earlier, when they started cleaning her blood from around the house. "I was told I had two days with Jack."

"Aereon just wants to speak with you for a moment before then," Imam said carefully.

"Holy Man. Do you know what you did to Jack?" Riddick asked not bothering with the argument of seeing the elemental. It was a battle he didn't feel like fighting. He knew a lost battle when he saw one, even if he didn't see them often, and he got the feeling the woman would just let herself in whether he wanted her there or not.

"W-what?" Imam asked backing from his own phone like Riddick was liable to reach through and grab him.

"You didn't keep her happy. You _hurt_ Jack. _You_ made this difficult." Riddick growled turning his attention fully to the man he'd trusted with something that was _his._ "She told you every day she wasn't happy. Imam you knew she was mine. I told you she was mine, and you had the gull to tell her I'd never come back for her, that I didn't want her. Then when I'm here you have the balls to make her cry in front of me."

"You must understand..."

"I must understand nothing," Riddick said grinning devilishly at the increasingly nervous man. "I'm an animal Holy Man, and you fucked with my pup. Lied to her. Wanted to marry her off, give her away to someone who wasn't me. Then you took away her sister. Just ripped out her heart and stepped on it didn't you. I saved your life Abu. Don't think I won't take it back."

"I was trying to do-"

"You were trying to do what was best." Riddick said harshly, mockingly, tilting his head watching Imam shiver. "I'm not too hot for your wife right now either Holy Man. She was protecting her child but she was hurting mine."

"Riddick, please leave my wife out of this," Imam begged, looking at the man imploringly.

"Look here Imam, you might want- Watch your back Holy Man." Riddick cut the line as Jack walked over to the intercom in the kitchen. Her voice came from the palm pad next to the door saying, "Riddick I cooked, the least you can do is come down stairs and tell me it sucks."

Sighing Riddick hit a couple buttons on the remote turning off the TV and sending it back into the wall. He hit the intercom as he got to the door saying, "There is a perfectly good food prep feet away from that oven it could have cooked for us."

"Richard B. Riddick you told me to cook!"

He could hear her yelling that from down stairs.

ooo

Jack grinned up at him as she caught her breath, and he realized how much he'd missed this too. She was breathing hard but still giving him that cheeky grin he remembered from the first time she landed a hit. He was holding her down, but she still looked like she won. He pressed his forehead to hers grinning back.

"I got you Riddick," Jack chuckled slipping one of her hands from his to tap his cheek which was a little red. Jack knew that while she had fight in her that she was no where near as skilled as Riddick. That while she had fought she didn't really know what she was doing. Riddick didn't just fight, Riddick knew what he was doing when he moved.

He hummed agreeably, kissed her palm, before nuzzling her shoulder and kissing her neck. The fingers of his now free hand traced her side and Jack wiggled in a pretend escape attempt, snapping playfully at him with an audible click of her teeth. Then with all the grace of a dog that you know can level you he let her roll him over her hands getting caught up in his above his head. She supposed this is what it would be like if the roles were ever reversed, and this wasn't a seriously stupid and impossible way to subdue Riddick. He looked up at her contently and Jack licked her lips as she thought, as she looked him over, a canine tooth coming to catch her bottom lip.

"Riddick... if I wasn't you slave what would I be?" Jack asked as she tried to move around to see if now that they were in this position she'd be able to keep him there.

"Mine," Riddick said simply as she pushed down more on his hands, trying to find better leverage with her legs to keep him down should he start moving. He let her get situated.

"I got that Riddick," Jack said as she moved a little higher so she was sitting on his chest. Only he started lifting his lower body making her lose her balance so she scrambled to try and find a better spot. He relaxed letting her. "I mean. You said if this never happened you would have come back and snatched me. Simple. Easy. But then what would you have done with me?"

Riddick thought about this, let her switch her grip from his hands to his shoulders but that just gave him his hands and when they started going up her shirt she took them back and held him by his wrists. Centered her weight back more. "Pretty much what we're doing now." He could almost see the chain of events in his head. She would've done something stupid to earn the cut on her shoulder. He wouldn't have made her a slave, but showed her her place. "You still wouldn't be my equal, even then you'd still be you Jack. It's not personal, just how it is."

Jack pushed her weight down on the side Riddick was trying turn her over with, but before she could lean back the other way he flipped her the other way. She was back on the bottom, but with a little shoulder Riddick let her get back on top. "Is partner and equal the same where you come from?"

"No." Riddick said as Jack simply straddled his stomach. "Don't have to be on the same level as someone on anything to be partners."

"What are you doing Riddick?" Jack asked suddenly. He was still just laying there, but she could feel that he was up to something.

"Giving you a false sense of power," Riddick grinned slyly.

"So I'll talk." Jack guessed, watching Riddick put his arms behind his head. He nodded in the process. "Well you might want to get some questions in before I figure it out."

Riddick cracked an eye open, in the perpetual dim light thankful that Jack had the good sense not to bitch about it. He paused for a second before asking, "Where'd ya learn the word sub."

"It's a common word in vocabulary." Jack huffed putting her hands over his eyes. He had no right to look at her like that. Didn't even know how he was looking at her but she was sure he had no right to do it.

"J-ack," He scolded.

"I looked it up." Jack said before she moved off him.

"Go on," He grunted as he watched her stand over him next to his head.

"I have a secret desire to be a dominatrix?" Jack asked. Like he'd believe that.

He was pretty damn sure she had a secret desire but he highly doubted that she wanted to spank him. More like the other way around. "Jack the truth would be nice." Riddick said seriously.

"I'm not calling you master while we fuck," Jack insisted as she walked out of the room. She didn't hear him, but she knew he was behind her following after her as she walked downstairs. She'd learned that despite Riddick's wish for them to share a room that her possessions were actually put in a room on the first floor.

"Didn't say you had to," Riddick chuckled. "I want you to tell me why you looked it up."

"Make me." Jack insisted. Gasped as she found herself against a wall. For once she didn't force herself to think it was bad, and she was together enough to not actually be panicked. Riddick tilted his head as she kept her eyes closed, she didn't know how she knew but she knew he was. The only way he showed he was confused by anything. Slight tilt of the head.

"Jack?"

"The thought of you making me..." Jack trailed off meaningfully. "You actually making me, it's not half bad either. I put out the challenge to a couple of guys... None of them could, or would... whichever."

Good thing her eyes were closed she probably wouldn't like the smirk he was giving her, couldn't see the lust he was looking at her with. "When did we figure this out Jack?"

"Sometime after you left, a year or so..." Jack embarrassed struggled around so she was facing the wall. "Kinda disturbing to have a very heated dream of your idol holding you down and undressing you. Wake up and you're not crying, when you know you should be, only instead yer turned on so much it hurts." Looking at the texture in the wall Jack breathed, "It still hit's me most of the time that it's really wrong for me to want to be controlled like that."

He wanted to control like that though. Her liking it, that was just icing on the cake. "So threatening you with sex would actually make you want it," Riddick guessed as he kissed the back of her neck. She grumbled at the wall, pressed closer to it. "You like pain too?"

"I can't say that I'm into pain," Jack offered. "Rough I like, hurting me still isn't good Riddick." She paused for a second before saying suddenly, "I don't want to be having this conversation."

"No, I think we need to have this conversation," Riddick rumbled against the back of her neck. He knew she was nervous, he knew that she didn't understand, so for Jack the best thing she could do was talk about this to him. If she didn't she'd go and get scared and then lash out.

Jack shuddered a little, tried to press closer to the wall. "What do you want me to say Riddick? That I want you to be in charge? You are in charge. I know this Riddick, you've made this very clear." Jack looked down at her wrist for a second. "Do you want me to say that I like it when you hold me down and push me over the edge? You know that I like it. I wasn't telling you to stop when you were bruising my hips, making it impossible for me to move while you already had me tied up. I let you have my virginity while I was tied up." Jack let Riddick turn her around but didn't look at him. "What do you want Riddick? What more could I possibly give you?"

He leaned down, kissing her lips, holding the back of her head, "That's enough for now." He pressed his forehead to hers for a moment before leaning back from her, taking her hand into his before leading her back away from the room they'd given her. He'd have to move all her stuff upstairs. Like he'd let her sleep downstairs while he was upstairs. He trusted Jack not to slit his throat, he did not trust her to stay put.

"Riddick... it's seriously messed up for me to want this." Jack said as he started walking her back upstairs.

Once the cleared the landing he pulled her to his side saying, "Jack, you gotta relax. I'm not going to have you shining my boots, and calling me master while we fuck. We're going to get back to where we started."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Sorry this took so long to get out I was actually working on putting together an RPG site which kind of sucked in all of my muse. However it's all set up now so I'm good. On the bright side we're moving along nicely in this little world. I feel so much better about this chapter then I did the last one. I would think that there's one or two more chapters that are going to take place on New Mecca before Riddick and the gang split for less endangered parts of the verse. I'm sure I've told you all this before but Jack really is going to start getting more stable. They fought it out, Riddick made a couple of points, and Jack admitted to a couple of things. There might be a little resistance on her part, but it's not going to be as big or violent anymore. Well there might be one more blow up, it depends on how I have her handle them leaving New Mecca. That's completely different though.

Also yes I know I kind of made Imam and Lajjun out to be really bad, and it always made me wonder why she didn't stay. My conclusion was less based on Riddick, and more based on Jack didn't feel like she didn't belong, wasn't made as welcome as it appeared when Imam when on that whole "You left when she needed you most bit".

So yeah, you might not agree on it, but it's just how I decided to spin it.

REVIEW REPLIES:

**jenefaner:**I'm so happy about all the love, and yeah but Riddick was like that in the movies, or at least I felt that way. One second he'd be all amazing and you'd be all "YAY RIDDICK" and then you'd just be staring at the screen like "You jerk." Thank you for the encouragement though :3 I hope you keep enjoying the fic!

**RatedRGirl83:**I hope you keep ejoying it even though I suck at getting these chapters all out.

**Melanchte:** Thank you so much, I'm glad you like it.


	9. Back to Basics

*Note...So being ever sucky with numbers I said there were fifteen people in the party and only named fourteen o.o; changed it... for everyone that didn't read it yet or hadn't noticed... uh... carry on...

* * *

Jack had been awake for the last hour just looking at her wrist. She didn't know what it meant. Riddick was zero help. Right now he was sleeping, which made him even more unhelpful. She had nuzzled him trying to see if he was awake and just listening to what she was up to, but he just held her tighter pulling her closer. No smirking, he didn't eventually open his eyes to look at her in that way that said she was annoying the living daylights out of him, just settled after that. It hadn't happened often when she was a kid, but on occasion she was awake when he wasn't. As long as she stayed more or less still he stayed asleep. Her forehead touched his chest as she looked at the tattoo. How was she supposed to figure this out?

He said she was reading it wrong.

Was she supposed to read it backwards or something?

1325101311

None of the numbers were closer or farther apart than any of the others. She couldn't think of anything. A sudden epiphany would be amazing right now. Sighing Jack gave up and looked up at Riddick blushing. She couldn't believe she told him all that. Admitted...

How was this going to get them back to where they started? How was that kind of relationship going to get them anywhere? When they first started, after the planet, she clung to him. He'd been everything. He'd been warmth and protection. She'd also just been a kid, and she needed him to protect her. Without him she never would have made it to New Mecca, there's no way that Imam would have been able to keep her safe, after all he'd spent most of his time in deep prayer. There's no way she would have stuck with Imam anyway if Riddick hadn't been there. Would have ditched him the second they touched down anywhere. Not that she would have made it off the planet at all without Riddick.

Pressing closer to him Jack closed her eyes hoping to get back to sleep. It was still late according to the chrono behind her though she was getting the feeling that she was going to have the pleasure of living in perpetual night. Squirming around Jack tried to get comfortable, only for Riddick to finally wake up. It was then he did something that was familiar, he coaxed her onto her stomach and rubbed her back. He kept it up until she closed her eyes, then he pulled her back closer, an arm moving over her shoulders and a leg lazily moved over one of hers. She wasn't asleep but closing her eyes meant she was relaxed enough that they could drift back off together.

He didn't know how long she'd been awake but he knew that look. How she looked up at him while he rubbed her back. She'd somehow woken up without waking him and hadn't been able to get back to sleep. Frowning Riddick hooked his leg around her more securely.

"I ain't going anywhere Riddick..." Jack mumbled not quite asleep yet.

"I know," Riddick breathed against her hair. He couldn't help but wonder how often she woke up without waking him. She slept like the dead most of the time. With Jack he was comfortable though, could sleep without waking up every half hour. When they got off New Mecca they might be sleeping sitting up until they got their own ship.

God he hoped she'd stick by him better than she did when she was twelve.

"_Get over here Jack," Riddick growled as he pulled the kid against his side as Imam got them checked in. Jack had the annoying habit of drifting towards anything she thought was interesting. Didn't see the group of guys eying her, didn't see the parents who were obviously wondering if they should get someone with a badge to check on her, and she sure as hell didn't see the twitchy old guy that was trying to slip closer to her. Only one of those wasn't a danger to her health._

"_Whaaat?" Jack whined up at him even though she wrapped her arms around his waist. Her fingers playing with his wife-beater as she still kept looking towards the food cart selling ice cream._

"_Stop wandering," Riddick told her as he let his fingers play over the growing peach-fuzz on her head. It was baby-soft, a reflection of the kid herself. She had fire, but she wasn't strong, anyone could take her down once they got their hands on her. It was a good thing he got Imam to agree that the best thing was to let everyone believe she was a boy. It wouldn't deter everyone, but it'd deter a few people. Better than nothing._

"_But... Johns I bet he'd give me a scoop for free," Jack said looking up at him. She hated having to call him Johns, he could tell, but she was sticking to the story._

"_Don't push it kid," Riddick insisted looking down at her. She pouted at him and let more of her weight hang on him, but she weighed nothing and it was a sign of her defeat. It was then that she took a look around. Took in her surroundings._

"_R-Johns... that old guy is creeping me out..." Jack whispered against his side pressing into him more._

_It was about time that she started paying attention. "And you wanted to walk over there and get ice cream..." Riddick grumbled as he started leading her towards where Imam was waving them over._

Granted Jack could probably take some twitching skeleton of a hype now, but he didn't want her to be picked up by a slaver, or some creep that wanted to abuse her. This memory was just one more reason that he needed to get her to listen to him though...

ooo

"Riddick!" Jack yelled bursting into the study where he was checking on the wound on his arm from yesterday. "There's some creepy, wispy, old lady in the living room!"

Looking up Riddick grumbled before tossing the bandages at Jack. "Ignore_ it_," Riddick said as Jack came up to him looking like he was crazy.

"But.. but Riddick, she's _in the living room_! I didn't let her in. I didn't even notice her! She wasn't there one second and then she was!" Jack insisted as she quickly bandaged up Riddick's arm. "You gotta do something about her!"

"She's someone who thought I was a good idea. Something about needing me to kill someone. Evil fighting evil," Riddick shrugged one shoulder as Jack finished up in record time before pointing to the door. He looked at her, watching her silently telling him to do something about the intruder in their home. "Sit with me Jack," Riddick said waving her over to him. He figured the woman would go away if she had to wait long enough, he'd cuddle with Jack all day if it got the woman to go away.

"There's some airy woman in our house. She's creepy and she floats, and she said something about me being the good part of you, and wondering if having me be this way was really best. She's creepy and I want her gone." Jack whimpered at him, crossing her arms over her stomach.

Riddick frowned pushing himself up onto his feet. "What?" Riddick asked as he moved cautiously over to Jack. "What do you mean?"

Jack's lower lip wavered before she said, "She said that I got to stay Jack, but it might not have been that way if it wasn't for her I would have been different, rougher. She said weird things that didn't make sense, like how you having me already might have been a mistake because I still have your humanity instead of you having it... She said if she hadn't changed things I wouldn't have stayed Jack..."

"Stay here," Riddick told her, urging her over to the desk and chair. Once Jack sat down he went downstairs finding Aereon in the living room sitting on the couch. "What did you say to Jack?" He asked his voice dark, and dangerous. Jack hadn't made any sense, who would she be if she wasn't Jack, his Jack?

"I merely mentioned that she's very charming the way she is, and that it might not have been so if certain events hadn't been stopped," Aereon said as she stayed seated.

He still didn't understand and frustrated Riddick rubbed his hand over his face before growling, "Just tell me what you want to say, then leave, and stay the fuck away from my Jack."

"You can run away, but you'll still have to fight them with time." Aereon told him as she stood up and moved closer to him. She watched him critically, like she could see passed the dull look Riddick was giving her now. When Riddick didn't say anything, just watched her she suddenly understood he expected her to leave now. No reply, denial or confirmation, he just wanted her gone.

"They'll follow you Riddick, you can't hide from destiny. We changed hers in hopes that it would bring you back enough to lead an army and save a planet that would otherwise parish." Aereon explained. She told them it might not work, that the future was subject to change but that some things just weren't meant to be changed.

"So if you know all this why don't you have me under lock and key?" Riddick asked as he moved around the older woman and fell onto the couch with all the grace of a big cat.

"Because then you wouldn't fight. We'd set you loose, you'd take the girl, and avoid destiny even longer. Maybe even escape it all together." Aereon explained. "If you stay, you'll fight and win, but you'll lose people important to you and Jack. If you leave... it's yet to be decided. There are too many paths"

"Not much incentive for me to stay," Riddick said tilting his head a bit.

"We kept her untouched and gave her the best chances to live, and just as I said you would be, you're ungrateful," Aereon sighed. "Maybe we should have gone through her. As Kyra she would have moved you quickly to killing the Lord Marshal."

Riddick tensed his eyes moving over to where Jack was standing too stunned to move now. She was half hiding behind the wall. "Out." Riddick insisted not liking how the woman was looking at Jack now. Like she had potential for something he didn't want for her.

"Don't worry so Riddick, I can't make her Kyra, I don't have the power to change the course of things when they're this far along. She'll always be your Jack now, soft, not hardened by being... abused by those men." Aereon said as she moved towards Jack, inspecting her. Jack jerked away from her but didn't run like Riddick would have liked her to. "We even stopped the merc ship; she doesn't have blood on her hands. You groomed her to be yours, she'll never leave you and join the Necromongers now, even if she thought you were dead, she'd drag your body out of the way of the burning sun. Stay with you even if you weren't her best chance for survival."

"Riddick..." Jack whined as Aereon touched her cheek.

Riddick moved forward a shiv in hand, making Aereon go more transparent and move herself away from Jack who attached herself to his side. "I told you to get out."

"You've been grooming her since that first night on the skiff. I can see why you want to take her off planet, they would not be kind to someone so vul-"

Riddick glared at where Aereon had been. Instead the elemental was gone and his shiv was planted in the wall that had been behind her head. Jack practically crawled up into his arms when he turned fully towards her.

"I don't like her Riddick. I don't. She sees too much," Jack insisted as she clung to Riddick. He carried her over to the couch, sitting down with her. Jack pushed back from him a little saying, "She knew about the mercs I almost joined up with. She knew about the name I used with them."

"What are you talking about?" Riddick asked his voice strained. He wanted to be angry with her, but it was something that she hadn't actually done, something that _would have_ happened a long time ago.

"After you left, I told these guys that I knew of a really big pay day, and they said they'd let me talk to "him" before they shipped him off to slam, that they'd cut me in. I figured you'd beat them and realize it was safer to take me with you. I... I don't know what I was thinking I was young and stupid and looking back on it... it was a good thing that the cop dragged me away from the port saying Imam was looking for me..." Jack said not liking how close she'd been to doing something so stupid. That could have really messed her up. "They didn't look all that hard, I figured they were rookies didn't even have their guns on them."

Riddick groaned. "They weren't mercs."

"They sa-"

"Do you believe everything anyone tells you?" Riddick roared grabbing her shoulders as she tried to get off him. "They were slavers Jack. She didn't mean that they were going to smack you around and make you do the grunt work, or be the bait. They were going to rape you and slave you out to anyone that could pay the going rate. Do you know what that can do to a kid?" He wanted to kill. He forced himself to let go of Jack. She hadn't done anything wrong. She'd been stopped by some cop sent by some fate seeing air witch while he was gone. "Where was Imam while you were being so stupid?" Riddick asked after Jack scrambled from his lap.

"Work I guess... It... it's while I was being reckless... I didn't care..." Jack said hesitantly as she backed away from him.

"_You groomed her..."_

"_You've been grooming her since the first night on that skiff..."_

Had he?

Had he turned her against the holy man from the start?

Teaching her to fight, laying with her at night... Had he been _grooming_ her to be his?

It would make sense, he'd never had something other than clothes on his back and a few knives that were just his. Even the slaves he trained weren't _his._ Jack though...

Standing up Riddick approached her cautiously, every move obvious, like corning an animal. Jack moved against the wall, watching him warily.

"I didn't actually do it Riddick..." Jack tried to reason with him. He couldn't punish her for something she hadn't done... right?

She still wasn't scared of him, he could see it, smell it. She just didn't want to be punished. There were times he had to look. Make sure. "I know Jack, I know baby," Riddick crooned softly, his voice deep and calming. "I'm not mad at ya kid." After a moment Jack held out her hand for him and he grinned seeing that tattoo on her wrist. He took her hand gently pulling her towards him. Her arms wrapped eagerly around him as he pet her hair and thought over all of this.

He could remember that first night like it'd just happened last night...

"_Do you really think you should be holding a young girl like that Mr. Riddick?" Imam asked disapprovingly._

_Really it just irked Riddick that he was harping on him because he was keeping the kid warm. _Bitchy Holy Man_. "She don't wanna lay with you, so that means either I hold the kid or one of us freezes to death. It ain't gonna be me so it's your choice, you or the girl?" When no answer came from the other side of the small cabin Riddick abruptly dumped the sleeping kid out of his lap._

"_Shit! Cold! Riddick?" Jack looked up at him from the floor. Too stunned to even get up, shivering immediately. It was apparent in her eyes that she thought she'd done something wrong._

"_The Holy Man says I shouldn't hold you. I don't wanna freeze and he doesn't want to freeze, so that leaves you shit out of luck kid." Riddick said frowning down at her._

"_Imam!" Jack complained as she shot up to her feet trying to make Riddick let her back into his lap, but he just nudged her away. She figured out quick it wasn't her fault, and knew just who to blame. "Imam, tell him he can hold me!"_

_Jumping up Imam made to put his arms and the blanket around Jack but she just shoved at him and turned back to Riddick whimpering. She had this kicked puppy hurt look on her face. Imam couldn't see it._

"_Jack!" Imam scolded._

"_I don't fucking want you." Jack growled shoving him away again, sending him stumbling back down onto the bench he'd been on, before trying to get Riddick to let her back under the heavy-duty thermal blanket with him. Her lips were already turning blue and she was shivering harder. "Riddick please, please I'm cold."_

"_I'm not gonna listen to him bitch kid." Riddick said leaning towards her and nuzzling her cheek apologetically._

"_I don't want __**him**__, I want you!" Jack insisted running her hands over the small amount of fuzz on her head. She was obviously frustrated._

"_For the love of Allah just hold the child before she freezes!" Imam relented._

_Riddick happily held the blanket open for Jack, who tackled him, clambering around trying to find the best way to absorb his body-heat without permanently attaching herself to him. She was small, folded herself perfectly against him sideways, holding the arm he put across her torso, and pressing her face against his bicep. _

He couldn't help but remember what he'd thought then, looking down at her. _That's right Jack Riddick good, Imam bad._ He'd fucked up her and Imam's relationship from the start. Made a god damn holy man into the bad guy. No wonder Jack had been so upset when he left. He'd screwed up her chances for a normal life because he wanted her to himself, and then he went left her behind.

_Fuck._

Regret was not a particular emotion he liked. Meant he'd fucked up bad. He really should have just taken Jack with him. Leaning down Riddick kissed her forehead, then her cheek, and then her lips. He was sorry. Sorry for treating his pup like this, sorry for leaving her after working so hard to make her his. Riddick was not happy with this new turn of events. They needed to get out of this city, needed to get off this rock.

Jack watched Riddick as he thought, and she didn't like where his mood seemed to settle. It didn't seem like a good place. She leaned her forehead on his chest saying, "Riddick, let's-"

Of course the phone rang then, right then. Riddick pulled away from her and walk toward the middle of the living room saying, "Phone. Screen call."

The TV slid down showing Sienna fidgeting waiting for them to pick up and her name and number scrolling across the bottom. She was talking to Bear, not that they could hear them, and he stepped into the picture. Sighing Riddick ordered, "Phone. Answer call."

"_Riddick! Where's Jack? Forget it, we got to go!"_ Sienna insisted, rushed as she started pulling things up, the corner of the screen showing the scrolling various news channels. _"The planets on the outside of the system reported seeing the comet that proceeds the Necromongers, we have less then forty-eight hours before they get here, less then twenty if we want to get off the planet without them sending ships after the transport to bring it back to have us converted. We need to leave now."_

And suddenly Aereon needing to talk to him right then made sense. She had to try and make him change his mind before anything became detectable. Well she failed. Riddick looked towards Jack who was standing next to the TV. He was hoping he'd have more time with her alone. "Sienna, send out the invites off the planet to everyone we decided on, tell them to sell anything they can now and to meet up at your place in the next four hours, we'll be leaving before tonight. We'll be over soon, Sienna you're going to have to encrypt Jack's chip."

"_You bastard!"_ Sienna yelled in parting before Bear moved her behind him with the help of the rolling chair she was on.

"_Where is Jack?"_ Bear asked as he scanned the screen.

Jack moved into the picture, going to stand next to Riddick. "Hey," Jack said with a small wave.

"_Hey baby girl, you okay?"_ Bear asked trying to get a feel of how she was doing.

"I told Riddick yesterday we should ditch New Mecca, so I guess I'm good," Jack said as Riddick walked off heading upstairs. "I-uh... we... me and Riddick, just had a visitor... or well intruder from the council... and things got kind of tense. This might be the best time for us to leave."

"_I see, and how'd Riddick do with the tattoo?" _Bear said as Sienna started working on calling the others with one of the other monitors.

"It's real clean cut, I hate to say it, but it's kinda cool," Jack said looking down at her wrist. "He won't tell me what it means though. He got pissy when I asked if he wrote random numbers on me, so it must mean something."

"_What is it?"_ Bear asked tilting his head.

"A barcode," Jack said putting her arm behind her back.

"_Figures..." _Bear chuckled, shaking his head, _"It means something, let's just hope he didn't do what we use to and wrote a dirty word on you."_

"Brilliant." Jack huffed looking at the stairs. After a second though she looked back at the screen asking, "Bear... did Riddick like any of the slaves when you were slavers?"

Bear frowned at that before shaking his head, _"He took a shine to a couple, but it's not like he kept any of them. Always let them go in the end, never decided to keep one when the time came to go to the auction."_ He paused looked at Sienna before saying, _"Jack I don't think you should think of yourself like the slaves me and Riddick use to run. He likes you too much."_

"I'm not, I'm just wondering if Riddick... I was just wondering..." Jack trailed off as she rubbed her arm. "I think things will be better this way... Get closer to how things use to be. It'll be better..." Jack said with a shrug.

"Jack! If you want clothes I suggest you stop talking to Bear and get up here!" Riddick yelled from the top of the stairs.

"_See you in a while kiddo."_ Bear said before the screen went black.

Jack hit a button on the screen sending it back into the ceiling before she ran upstairs, finding Riddick standing at the top. She paused looking up at him before moved up wrapping her arms around him. He frowned as he looked down at her, before she grinned up at him saying, "Not our fight."

Looking more content Riddick nodded, "Damn straight."

ooo

"I thought you said we were going legit!"

Jack snatched her wrist away from the scrawny blonde guy who'd caught her looking at her tattoo. Riddick was in front of her before she knew he was anywhere near her, growling, "She's mine Oliver, just mine."

"Whoa, whoa, Riddick, sorry man," Oliver said his hands up. "Saw the tat and just assumed…"

"Casualty number one, I call it," Tristan the bouncer Riddick had seen at the club said pointing at the blonde.

"Children the lot of you," Sienna complained as she grabbed a hold of Jack dragging her towards her com. "Jack come here if you want off this planet."

Jack frowned as she watched Riddick scuff Oliver over the head before another guy joined in, pushing Riddick's shoulder. It was different seeing him with… she didn't know… peers who didn't want to kill him. She was pushed into a chair only to find a little boy peering up at her from under the chair. Cody, Milo's kid. "Aren't you supposed to be helping you're mom with… something?" Jack asked grinning down at the kid as Sienna took her wrist and scanned her chip a couple of times, typing away on the computer in between scans.

Cody stuck his tongue out at her saying, "Nooo, momma said to get out of the kitchen before she put me in a corner."

"There it'll come up as an identification chip to mass scanners, or body scanners. It'll only out you if they open the file." Sienna said before she started on clearing a couple faces from the "persons of interest" file in the space ports system.

"You have a chip?" Cody asked as he crawled out from under her chair and boldly climbed in her lap.

"It's a potato chip, it's in my belly," Jack said poking at the kid's stomach.

"Nuh-uh, Papa said that you were Mr. Rick's special friend, and that I wasn't supposed to say anything, and that I'm not allowed to call him Mr. Riddick." Cody said grinning brilliantly.

Jack glanced off to the side where Milo was rubbing the bridge of his nose and Riddick was obviously trying not to grin. He had his goggles on to accommodate the rest of the people present, but the way he was covering his mouth gave it away. "Don't you love kids, say everything they know and then stop." Jack said ruffling Cody's shaggy light brown hair.

"What's a special friend?" Sienna asked pulling her attention away from her computer. "Am I Nikolai's special friend?"

"Nope," Cody chirped, "You're Mr. Nikolai's wife, Momma said Jack was like Mr. Rick's girlfriend, but more."

"Ha, hear that Sienna? I'm special, you're just a wife," Jack chuckled as Milo snatched up his son before he could say anything else. Riddick by now was just grinning out right.

"Huh what was that? Jack has to stay behind before scanners will detect her at the docking bay?" Sienna snipped even as she erased Jack from the file.

ooo

"What do you mean there are no more rooms on the ship?" Bear asked glaring at the old woman on the other side of the glass. "You let us on board! It said basic passage vacancy. You're telling me we got to get off the ship and find another one?"

"It says that sir because we converted the first cargo bay into a mass shelter. Obviously you and your party have heard about the situation." The graying woman said tapping her fingers impatiently. She'd been dealing with this for the last hour. "All we have left are first class rooms." After a couple of clicks she explained, "The cheapest one we have available is eight thousand UDs, even though you have fourteen people in your party, which is way more than is allowed in that room we'll still allow you to have it in light of the circumstances."

Riddick mentally sighed as he looked down at Jack who was leaning against him her bag hanging down by her side as she held it. _So much for having a little private time with Jack. _"Just take the room Nikolia," Riddick said after a second of Bear seething. "I'll compensate you for it." After all they needed to be on this transport it left the soonest and went the furthest without mandatory cryo. If the ship was taken over by anyone they didn't want to be under. In times like this, cryo wasn't an option, even if it meant almost two months in space.

It didn't take long for them to be set up with all the keys to the room, they were warned explicitly that at least one of them better keep track of their key or they were going to be locked out of the room until someone with a master key took pity on them. In the end everyone had to share with someone making a buddy system they weren't allowed to break. Milo's family got one, Sienna and Bear got one, Riddick and Jack, Tristan and his girlfriend, Dodger, Oliver, and Charlie had to share one, and then Chuck and Ed had to share. Six in all.

Jack sighed as she looked around the extravagant two story suite. It was big enough to fit all of them more than comfortably, accept that there weren't enough rooms which was easily the start of a squabble. There were three rooms. No one disputed Milo, Rhea, and Cody getting the master bedroom mostly because of Cody being young and wanting to give him a place to get away from the less than reputable adults. Bear and Sienna paid so they'd snagged the second room which left everyone else fighting over the third bedroom despite it being the smallest. Well everyone except Riddick who'd scoped out the room before dropping their bags on the couch effectively claiming it for them and setting everyone else up to argue over the remaining bed.

Eying Riddick for a second Jack decided he was sufficiently entertained by the fight that Tristan and Juliet were slowly winning before she headed up the stairs. She didn't particularly like that her thoughts turned to sex, but she doubted being celibate for almost two months was in the cards for Riddick, and therefore her. Milo and Rhea could do it by getting someone to watch Cody, Bear and Sienna had a room, and…

"I swear to god if you don't give me the room me and Juliet will do it on every surface in the living room! Except for Riddick's couch!"

Good to know the couch was off limits to everyone but her and Riddick.

Tristan and Juliet effectively claimed the third bedroom and they rushed up the stairs passed her, Juliet looking fairly mortified. Poor girl…

Looking over the railing Jack eyed Riddick, the suite was nice, and two floors but it was rather cozy. His eyes locked with her and Jack made a mental note to talk about not having sex in front of everyone. Moving the rest of the way up to the second floor Jack walked through the small sitting area to Bear and Sienna's room. It was open and they were just putting stuff away.

Bear saw her first saying, "So Riddick didn't want the room?"

"Turned his nose up at it, I think it's because there's another suite on the other side of the wall," Jack said with a shrug. "As far as I'm concerned I'm just glad it's not a skiff. At least here we can take turns with the shower and bathroom." That and the food wouldn't run out.

"That must have been awkward as a teenaged girl, going to the bathroom in front of two men," Sienna said as she sat down on the bed with a small bounce.

"Well Imam would always go sit up in the copilot's seat to give me space, Riddick was the one with boundary issues," Jack said rubbing her face, wondering why that had to be the question of the day.

"You looked too so don't start," Riddick said as he leaned over her looking around Bear and Sienna's room.

"I was twelve!" Jack groaned thoroughly humiliated. She'd looked once had been sufficiently embarrassed, and never did it again. "You know that's probably why Imam thought you were a pervert." Jack tacked on to take the attention away from her.

Putting his hand on her head Riddick leaned into the room further before saying, "Just because you were the most interesting thing in the skiff, does not make me a pervert." There were plenty of other things he had done and would do to her that made him a pervert.

"Boundary issues doesn't seem to cover it completely enough," Sienna said with a light, amused, shake of her head. After a second she bounced up, and walked over grabbing Jack's hand saying, "Let's go get something to eat."

Riddick's hand didn't move from her hair, getting her to try and look up at him the best she could. "Stay on the first class deck," Riddick insisted before letting her be pulled off.

"You seem more content," Bear said as he finished up unloading their things into the dresser, setting Sienna's new laptop on the top of it.

"We came to an agreement," Riddick said with a shrug, "She doesn't push my buttons just to push them and I don't give her crash courses in her fantasy life."

"So Jack likes it rough," Bear said as he walked out of the room into the little common room set up on the landing. He took a seat on one of the arm chairs, watching Riddick take the other one. Below the other members of their "business" were claiming sleeping stakes. They were due to get some mats so everyone who didn't have a bed or couch didn't have to sleep directly on the floor.

"You figured?" Riddick asked as he watched the others too Jack and Sienna already free from the room.

"Not originally, but she didn't exactly come crying when you tied her to the headboard without her consent." Bear shrugged. "Some girls would think of that as rape Riddick."

"I made it feel good," Riddick said with a shrug as Dodger picked up Oliver's bag and dropped it further from the couch he'd claimed for him and Jack.

"Just because it feels good doesn't mean they want it; a positive physical reaction isn't consent. Some girls wouldn't have liked it, but I think if Jack thought of it as you raping her she'd make that clear," Bear said rubbing his cheek as Dodger put Oliver in a headlock.

"She cuddled after," Riddick offered. "Didn't tell me she hated me, didn't cry."

"Then I'd think you're in the clear," Bear said towards his old friend. "Still, not something everyone would be into."

"Sienna?" Riddick asked as Charlie started pulling Dodger and Oliver apart as their scuffle got a little violent.

"No, Sienna really isn't into that sort of thing." Bear said with a shake of his head. "Honestly I thought you and Jack were going to come to have to… compromise."

"So you do know," Riddick said looking at looking over as the fight between the three dissipated.

"It's not exactly written on her forehead, but street kids are either on the street for a reason or they get hurt by someone who picks them up," Bear said with a shrug. "We all saw it enough when we were slaving."

"Yeah, I knew when she was pretending to be a boy that something was up," Riddick said as he stood up stretching a bit.

"Jack pretended to be a… that makes so much sense," Bear said watching as Riddick walked over to the railing overlooking the living room. "She said it she did it in your memory, when I asked, she had a little bit of fuzz going on though."

"Mmh, she did it to look like me, reaffirm in the groups mind she was a boy even though I thought it was blindingly obvious she was a girl," Riddick said as he stood up and headed down stairs to follow after Jack and Sienna. Bear called out a parting as he walked out the door.

ooo

"I told him…" Jack said she and Sienna sat down in the little café that was having some complimentary tea time. All the finger food, little desserts, and tea they could handle. The waitress had been surprised that they wanted to partake, but after they had been more polite then the aristocratic woman and her daughter a few tables over she kept bringing them different dishes to try. They didn't even have to order like the woman and her bratty preteen.

"How did he react?" Sienna asked around a little meat pie which the waitress told them was something from the same basic region of old Earth as the tea time they set up.

"Well he didn't get scary happy and he didn't do me on the spot, so I'd say he handled it better than I thought he would," Jack said as she brushed her finger around the rim of the cup in front of her. "He said we'd get back to how we started… but I don't see how that's gonna pan out."

"You two use to be close right?" Sienna asked looking her friend over as Jack seemed to shrink in on herself again.

"Yeah we were really close, but I was really dependent on him, I looked to him for everything," Jack said before she sat back and looked up.

"Well you were young… that's not what's wrong is it?" Sienna asked as she watched Jack.

"He left Sienna," Jack mumbled. "He was all I had, he knew I didn't like Imam, but he left me anyway. Worse I couldn't even talk about him. Everyone had to believe he was dead, and Lajjun had a coronary every time I said his name. The dreams weren't all that helpful either."

"I wouldn't imagine so," Sienna sighed. She had to remember that while Riddick was larger than life and annoying as fuck now, she'd spent years thinking he was dead. Jack had always been confused about how she felt about sex, though they never touched on anything from the past, and Sienna didn't know what to tell her. Sometimes she was a wreck when it came to sex; she had very little standing on telling Jack what to do. "But maybe… and you have no idea how much it pains me to say this, but maybe Riddick's just the one to walk you through this. He's gone through a lot of trouble to keep you, I somehow doubt that he's going to ditch you know."

"I guess…" Jack sighed leveling her head and taking a look around. "He stands out like a sore thumb up here… We're going to have to get him back into the clothes he bought to stay at Imams."

Sienna paused for a minute before turned a little in her seat to see Riddick in his usual badass attire looking at the menu set up outside the restaurant. "Even I had the good sense to tone it down." Sienna said straightening out the simple ponytail her hair was in. Her and Jack were far from first class regulars, but they looked normal at least. Her own skinny black jeans and white tee simple but not as showy as she liked but they weren't trying to get everyone's attention.

Jack fingered the dark jeans she wore with her green shirt before looking back over at Riddick. "I guess we should go before he freaks anyone out too much."

"I think he'll freak people out regardless…" Sienna said as she grabbed a little disc of the table and put in a tip from the account linked with their room.

"I'm hoping if we stand with him though, people will disregard him as an eccentric bodyguard…" Jack said as she stood up, and her and Sienna headed over to him.

"Neither of you have a key to the room," Riddick offered as he looked down at them.

Sienna patted her pockets before cursing lightly under her breath, while Jack just shrugged a bit. She figured that Riddick would come after her eventually. Having a Riddick guard dog usually meant she didn't have to worry about little things like keycards. Besides, like he'd ever hand over their card to her.

Jack paused mentally even as Sienna insisted they head over to a little gelato cart down the hall. She was relying on Riddick to do the important, but little, shit again. Like remembering the key to the room, or where their room was. She was relying on him to make sure she wasn't left out alone… Riddick's arm slid around her shoulders as they followed Sienna.

Even as she leaned into him Jack decided she needed to be reasonable. Riddick wasn't infallible and she couldn't go asking how high every time he said jump… She was not having sex in the living room in front of other people. He could be in charge though, after all he already was.

* * *

AUTHORS NOTES:

Long time no see! Here is the update.

I hope it's not too much of a let down. It's not my best work and somewhere around the end of the middle of the chapter it might seem to "jump" a little and not flow for a second, that's because I started this chapter at one point and then finished up in the last couple of days... Originally Jack and Riddick were going to have a bit of a scuffle but I decided to get to the fun stuff, and save the scuffle for the trip. FUN THINGS TO COME! I promise :3

REVIEW REPLIES:

**RatedRGirl83:**Thanks for your support.

**jenefaner:**And here's the upday . better late then never eh? And I think I told you this but that picture was so so so perfect. Jack and Riddick's little dom/sub-ness probably isn't going to be to out there, and I don't know how acurate it's going to be, but they're going to have interesting times.

**my shangri-la:**Thank you so much. ^_^

**badbunny1818:** Gosh, thank you. I'm always so happy to hear that my work makes people feel strongly. Thank you so much.


	10. Abrupt Departures

_Cold._

Jack buried herself against Riddick as he held her. There were too many people aboard and not enough willing to go into cryo. This meant everyone had to pay for it and there were no lights and no heat for the night cycle on the ship. The little bit of light in the room came from a portable vid player that one of the guys had. Most of the movies saved on it were horror and action flicks but Jack wasn't really paying attention to them. She was nuzzling Riddick trying to stay warm.

They had two blankets to themselves, being gipped out of a thermal because they had each other's body heat…

"_Riddick we're not going to do anything… in front of… you know…" Jack asked quietly as the crew sharing the living room with them fought over the thermal blankets before the heat was going to go out._

_He looked at her for a long moment before he shook his head saying, "I'm not sharing you like that. Not even if they're just watching."_

That's what he said but slowly his hands were straying from her sides and back. She forced a breath out through her mouth slowly against his neck as his hand found her breast the other rubbing her thigh. Riddick turned his head towards her as he let her slid off his lap a bit so her back was against the back of the couch and she sank down slightly, more trapped between him and the couch. He caught her mouth with his and Jack couldn't help but think it was unfair how warm he seemed to be.

The couch was nice, oversized, and with Riddick's coaxing the both ended on their sides comfortably. Riddick shifted the blankets around making sure their legs were covered using the extra one to tuck around the back of Jack before covering himself. Then he wrapped around Jack, a leg over hers, and one arm acting as her pillow. With him acting as a sufficient wall against the others in the darkened room he looked down at Jack for a second before pulling her into another kiss. She didn't object at first but when he started messaging her breasts again she grabbed his wrist.

Jack mouthed to him _you said_, but he just kissed her more repositioning his hand so it cupped the back of her neck. Moving his kisses across her cheek he mumbled quietly against her ear, "Don't move baby, I just wanna touch." Riddick knew what he said, and he wouldn't fuck Jack with them around, but he wouldn't be denied touching her. In any case the shrill scream from the vid player insured that the guys were caught up in the slaughter happening on the screen. He, careful not to move too much, pushed Jack's shirt up. She looked up at him for a second before she shrank lower, he watched as she pulled out of her shirt tucking it behind her before removing her bra and doing the same.

She didn't know what she was doing, but Riddick let go of her neck pillowing her head with his arm again wrapping it around her. "Quiet," Riddick told her as he ran his free hand over her. She bit her lip, his command becoming hard when he tweaked each of her nipples.

Riddick kissed her, moving his hand around to her back playing his fingers down her spine, then back up. Jack gripped his shirt and he moved his fingers down to the hem of her jeans. His fingers slipped under the waistband before moving away from major temptation to tease them both by pushing her hands away to get better access to her chest. He nibbled her lower lip knowing he couldn't move low enough to taste the inviting flesh he was touching.

In the morning they'd take a shower, he could have his fill then, and thank Jack generously for letting him do this to her. She squirmed covering her mouth with her hands keeping her arms out of the way. Just a little more…

ooo

Riddick pushed Jack into the back of the couch hoping to make her feel secure, holding her there kissing and licking her forehead, cheeks, lips, jaw, and anything he could get at. They'd been asleep for less than an hour. She'd _screamed_ and probably woke up the entire suite, if anyone had been in touching distance he would have shived them. Everyone was probably just too cold to come see what was wrong, maybe a few were sound sleepers, but it was doubtful many weren't wondering what was up. The guys on the floor had sat up, were probably trying to see what was up while keeping warm and their distance. Only she wasn't settling and she wasn't waking up.

"Jack, come on kid," Riddick said patting her cheek, kissing her face, shaking her a little, "Wake up, it's just a dream." She wasn't screaming anymore, but she was still pushing, and whimpering. She stank of fear and, unlike other times, it was putting him on edge. One of the guys got the courage to stand up behind him and Riddick growled in warning. He couldn't pull the covers off her, she still wasn't wearing her shirt, they never put it back on her. Glaring over his shoulder at Oliver he waited for him to sit back down before he shifted her up a little higher so he could get at her neck. He carefully bit down on her neck, making sure he didn't break skin but was firm enough to make sure he was felt.

Jack whimpered, but stilled, he put a little more pressure, making it hard for her to breathe. A more persistent whimper told him she was awake and he let go, leaning up more to press his forehead to hers.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked up into Riddick's silver eyes. She grabbed for him wanting to be closer. Not wanting to say what she'd been dreaming about. Riddick wrapped his arms back around her holding her hard against him, keeping her against the back of the couch. She kissed his chest happy to be awake happy to see him.

"Jack?" Riddick asked quietly kissing the top of her head.

"They were all dead…" Jack whimpered so quietly Riddick had to take a moment to understand what he'd heard. "The people on New Mecca… Lajjun… Zi…"

Riddick shook his head against her. "It was a nightmare," He hummed into her.

"Aereon showed me… There's a ship coming after us… she… she made me…" Jack lapsed back into tears it becoming hard to keep her voice down. "It's my fault Riddick."

"Shit," Riddick growled picking Jack up keeping one of the blankets around them, making sure he had a hold of her shirt and bra, and walked around the guys, passed the table where another video was playing on mute. Right now he kind of wished he'd taken the room even if the wall was flimsy. He shouldered open the bathroom hating that right now it was the only private place he could take her. "Jack, calm down, hush baby." Riddick breathed as he sat down with her in his lap, his back against the door. Pulling her things out from the blanket to wrap it tighter around them Riddick kissed her cheeks. "It wasn't real."

"They hurt her Riddick. They killed my sister. Riddick, it was so real…" Jack whimpered against him.

Riddick held her kissing the top of her head, trying to calm her down before he was too on edge himself. Reaching out of the blanket Riddick handed Jack her bra, and then her shirt watching her get dressed. "Jack we're going to go ask Sienna to look into it, okay?" Jack hiccupped but nodded, and once she was finished she clung to him again.

"She said you were going to leave me again…" Jack said hopelessly.

"I'll always come back kid," Riddick rumbled as he quickly got them up the stairs. Jack was starting to shiver from the cold, and he could feel it seeping into his skin too. He knocked on the door urgently only to get a call that he could come in.

He walked in and shut the door looking to Sienna, saying, "I need you to pull up a news feed and see how New Mecca is doing."

Sienna nodded and Bear waved them over saying, "Sit down."

Riddick moved around the bed sitting on Sienna's other side as he rubbed Jack's arms and sides to try and keep her warm. She buried her face against the side of his neck. He watched the screen as Sienna typed away, what she found made her fingers still over the keyboard and close her eyes against the screen. He just watched. The camera was still broadcasting, though all that was around was death. Men in armor walking by.

"I was wrong…" Sienna said as she changed windows looking up their ship, flinching a bit when Jack sobbed. "They're detouring the ship… We're landing on Helion 5 we'll be there late tomorrow unless they get this thing running full speed then about midday… They have faster ships than this rig we just have a head start, they're right behind us, we'll probably have time to land _if_ we go faster, and get off the ship before they invade, if we're lucky... Since it would be faster to turn around and land on Helion 4 I guess they're taking us to the planet they're taking next."

"How could you have been so off?" Bear asked putting an arm around her.

"I was using the estimations given by the… former militaries they've conquered. Apparently everyone was very off, or these fuckers were just taking their sweet time till now," Sienna said looking over at Jack and Riddick. They were kissing; it was obvious Riddick was trying to make Jack feel better. After a moment Sienna asked, "Jack how'd you know?"

"That air bitch fucked with her head," Riddick growled against Jack's lips. He kissed her forehead before resting his cheek on top of her head, when Jack lowered her face to wipe the tears off her face.

"Elementals are a tricky lot. They see too much," Sienna breathed as she looked helplessly at the screen shivering a little because of the cold. "We can't even highjack the ship, not with a crew this size. Too many factors and eventually the necros would catch up, board us and probably just exterminate everyone who didn't make the cut, take who they could to convert. Good for the men, bad for the women and kids."

"W-what about the escape pods?" Jack asked, even though she doubted it would work.

"We don't line up with any of the planets, and we won't, if we did I'd say do it, but we'd probably just be picked off." Sienna explained. "They're probably not powering up the ship so no one panics until it's too late. In the morning they'll probably announce that there's been some minor malfunction and that we need to land before going into deep space… We'll have to get off."

"We could probably steal a star jumper," Bear said rubbing the back of his neck. "Just get off and steal a ship."

"It'll be a tight squeeze if we take everyone," Riddick said as he looked down at Jack brushing her hair out of her face. "Anything fast enough to out run them long enough to get away is going to be small."

"We're going to kill them too," Jack lamented, understanding right away why Riddick was saying that.

"We'll give them a chance," Bear said looking over at Jack while pulling Sienna closer to him. "We'll pick a place, and anyone who makes it we'll all meet up there."

"Sienna, find a place far, but that an average star-jumper could get to in one or two shots," Riddick said as he picked him and Jack up off the bed before sitting back down with them under the covers too on the queen sized bed.

"You have no boundaries do you?" Sienna asked as she lifted her laptop so Riddick could add the blanket on top of them.

"Do you want to be cold?" Riddick snapped, not in the mood for the snippy attitude.

"Sienna just look," Bear said watching as Riddick forced himself to concentrate on Jack instead of doing something to Sienna.

Jack watched as Sienna started working before looking to Riddick who was combing his fingers through her hair. They looked at each other for a long time before he pulled her so she was lying against his chest.

"The closest habitable systems are Ananke, Erebros… well with outer planets wouldn't want to land on the death trap you guys did, UV, and Lupus is a little farther but most ships would at least make it to the last planet in their galaxy with it being on the right side of the sun this time of its cycle."

Riddick looked down at Jack thinking over their options as they stood. The UV plants were all extraordinarily hot or cold only one was colonized mostly by Terraforming researchers. Ananke was either a layover or tourist traps depending on the planet you picked, and Erebros was all mining colonies…

"Lupus is the only one that makes sense," Bear said taking the words out of Riddick's mouth. "Lupus 7 is the best industrial; most inhabitants are on the wrong side of the law, good hiding place."

Jack tensed up but didn't say anything just looked away. Riddick rubbed her back, he knew that's where Jack came from, but she'd also been on the streets there, which meant she'd be best suited to survive there even if she had to do it alone. "Lupus 7 it is," Riddick said looking over at Bear. "We'll tell the others when the light comes back on."

ooo

"Jack you go with Bear and Sienna," Riddick said as he shielded her against the wall. "When you guys touch down on Lupus 7 you stay with them as long as it's the safest thing. If you have to-Jack don't you dare say a fucking word! If you have to you ditch them, stay alive until I get there, you survived there as a kid, you'll survive this time."

Another explosion lit up space port, but when the smoke cleared Riddick could see that Sienna got the ship to open to them. He watched Bear wave him over before he leaned down and kissed Jack telling her, "You never put your life in anyone's hands but mine." He kissed her wrist insisting, "Mine, My Jack." He looked around the corner as Jack wiped at her face trying to clear her eyes. The army was making their way down, destroying every ship as they went. He shoved her out in the open before him, getting her half way before pushing her the rest of the way to Bear.

Jack tried to go after him, tried to defy the orders he was giving her, but Bear had her before she could get to him. He was the diversion, the one most likely to live on their own in the middle of the warzone. Bear put his arm around her neck dragging her into the small ship they were taking. Riddick already had a shiv in someone's eye by the time the ramp closed. Jack fought until Bear shoved her into a seat strapping her down as Sienna rushed through the take-off sequence. Bear was barely strapped in before she took off.

"_He's going to leave you, when he comes back for you he'll be death, he won't be the person you love."_

"_What the hell are you talking about?" Jack demanded trying to wipe the blood off her hands trying not to look at the slaughter beneath her feet._

"_You're going to have to kill him. We thought it could work this way," Aereon said as she looked Jack over her in dismay, "We thought you would die for him anyway, and after a while Necromongers would disown him and they would eventually fade, fighting amongst themselves for power. Like this, though, this is the wrong balance."_

"_I won't kill Riddick!" Jack yelled shaking her head, trying to get out of this hideous dream. Trying to wake up._

"_You will, good and evil can't love each other. The moon can't be with the sun, death can't have life, and the girl doesn't belong with the wolf," Aereon said glaring at the young girl, grabbing her shoulders trying to make her understand. "You will kill him, or you'll be responsible for the deaths of millions. _This_ is all your fault, and it will be again and again until you kill him."_

"_I won't kill him. I won't! Riddick! Riddick help!" Jack screamed looking around and finding the wolf, pitch black wolf she was looking for. The one with silver eyes._

"_He'll eat you alive, you won't be the sun or life." Aereon said backing from Jack as the wolf pressed between them. Jack fell to her knees and the wolf took a hold of her neck. "You'll just be the girl with the basket, picking the path for the wolf."_

"_He's all I have," Jack whimpered as the wolf firmed up his grip on her._

"_No, he's all you want little girl. When he makes you sup on your mother's flesh and blood maybe you'll understand why you can't love him," Aereon said walking away._

"Jack… Jack!" Sienna said as she patted her friend's cheek.

"I was just thinking about the dream I had last night…" Jack said focusing on Sienna. Even though her friend looked concerned Jack just looked around, her heart breaking when Riddick was nowhere to be found. "She said he'd leave me… I didn't want him to leave me. He could have come with us… We could have ran forever…"

"We wouldn't have made it Jack. The soldiers would have shot the ship, damaging it…" Sienna said wiping at Jack's tears as they fell down her cheeks.

"She said she couldn't see that far. That it was possible for us to run forever. Something changed…" Jack breathed as she stared into Sienna's eyes wishing they were silver. Looking at Bear and wishing he was Riddick. "Someone did something and changed everything…"

"Jack, she could have just been toying with you," Bear said as he moved closer kneeling next to Sienna and tucking Jack's hair behind her ear.

"She said I was supposed to die," Jack said looking at her lap. "She said I was supposed to die for him, but I'm not, and that's wrong. They wanted a different balance. They fucked it up because they didn't make me Kyra, and now they want me to fix it, now they seem to want me to live…"

"Jack I think you need to rest," Bear said suddenly, unbuckling her and pushing the seat back.

"Bear, I want Riddick back… I don't care if I'm just the girl with the basket, I told him I'd eat the meat, and drink the blood, and climb in the bed every night." Jack cried curling onto her side. "I want him back."

"Jack you're the only thing he's ever loved, he's going to come back for you," Bear told her patting her leg. "He'll be there before the end of the year."

* * *

AUTHORS NOTES

OKAY who didn't see this coming? *raises hand* Yeah so this changed on me, and everyone should fear what music can do to a person. Two songs inspired me and I ended up completely scrapping my first version of chapter 10 and popped this out in about a week or so because it came to me. Okay another reason I scrapped my first version of chapter ten was because Riddick went all out of character on me and it was bad, I should never reread a chapter and say that I hate my own depiction of Riddick unless he's doing something really evil, but this isn't exactly what I had been expecting. This does however mean that Monsters is going to be longer than I thought. It was going to wrap up in the next chapter or two and make way for a sequel, but instead Monsters is just going to be longer.

For those who read my other two stories, I'm sorry that my muse strays from story to story, but I'm trying and if I don't write the story I'm inspired for they all start ending up the same, which no kidding is exactly how in each and every one of them Riddick and Jack ended up in space. Besides the fact that I've never felt strongly towards New Mecca as a setting. Be patient my loves

REVIEW REPLIES:

**jenefaner:**I had a couple good funny moments in this chapter nine huh? But yeah I loved CoR so much until I saw Pitch Black (saw the movies out of order do to tv) and after seeing Pitch Black and Dark Fury I was all... CoR did it wrong! Which is usually what prompts me to write fanfics without putting one of my own characters in as a love interest for the main guy. On the Riddick/Jack Bear/Sienna smut-i-ness, no fooling it almost happened. The only thing that stops me is Riddick would probably murder Bear if he so much as thought about putting any part of him in any part Jack, and viseversa with Bear feeling that way towards Riddick with Sienna. So copping a feel on the other guys girl while dancing is really as far as the smut can go with them.

**badbunny1818:**I try to keep him about how he was in the movies, and I'm glad you like mine. (Ps if you're looking for some good dark Riddick's I suggest Saismaat's fics she does amazing.) I also try to age Jack accordingly using how she was in PB and add in how I wanted her to grow, so again I'm glad you like her. That and Kyra was great I would have loved her if she wasn't supposed to be Jack.

**RatedRGirl83:**I know I'm getting sloppy with my updates, I'm sorry. And yeah he didn't have sex with her and hid what he did do with her pretty well -.- then things went south. It's another we'll have to find out in the next chapter thing.

**hideher:** Welcome to Monsters hideher! I'm glad you like this one too. Riddick never did get a hold of Imam after their little chat but all things considered Imam had necromongers invade his planet, and you'll see what happened to him and his family in the future.

Reviews, replies, and questions are always welcome!


	11. Life Continues

11 months and some days later…

"Jack's back!"

"Shut up Oliver!" Jack yelled throwing her bag at him. She'd been trying to get in the door without Sienna hearing her.

"Jack where the hell have you been?" Sienna yelled pushing her way into the room past Dodger and Bear. "You've been gone for a week!"

"Did you steal anything good this time?" Dodger asked as Oliver tossed him the backpack Jack had thrown at him.

"It's mostly wallets, and I'm going to bed." Jack said heading for her room only for Bear to grab a hold of her upper arm, redirecting her to his and Sienna's room. Sienna followed closely behind and Jack sighed as she let herself be led to her lecture. It was slowly becoming evident that the five of them were all that was left. Charlie, Chuck, and Ed were all confirmed, seen, deaths by various members of the team. No one else had been seen or heard from, not even Riddick, and the Helion system was a confirmed mass grave.

Necromongers next stop?

The Lupus System.

"He's going to slaughter you Jack!" Sienna insisted as Jack was shoved into her computer chair.

"No he's going to murder us, he's just going to punish Jack," Bear said as he sat heavily on the bed rubbing his temples. "Jack you believe, insist even, that he's alive, and yet here you are endangering yourself. What if he comes back when you're gone for so long?"

"I'm surviving, we've been over this, if he came back while I was gone he'd come find me," Jack breathed looking up at the ceiling, "I'm not getting drunk, I'm not getting high, and I'm not trying to die. We have food on the table, and a roof over our heads, which without me wouldn't be possible if we want this to last. All the money Sienna's rerouting has to go for the ship and its modifications to blow this hell at the end of the month with a sturdy, capable ship. The Necro-fuckers are just getting closer, and really it's a race to see if they get here before we leave. Just because they've started to set up some colonies instead of just exterminating everyone right away doesn't mean we'll be so lucky. The Lupus system doesn't have a whole lot left in the way of natural resources, so it's likely they'll just dispose of the useless planets such as this one. Even if they start on the other side of the sun like we think they will it's doubtful we'll get out undetected because they're already in the system. I'd like to not die of something stupid like _starvation_ when I can be _vaporized_ or _shot_."

"Jack you can't keep this up, you disappear for days at a time, and then you come home and you don't do anything but sleep," Sienna said looking down at her friend as Jack leaned forward and ran her fingers through her hair. "You don't spend time with anyone, accept Dodger when he forces his company upon you, fuck what Riddick would think we're worried about you."

"She's not going to listen," Bear said standing up, "and I'm not completely convinced that she isn't trying to die."

"What do you mean?" Sienna yelped as Jack stood and headed for the door not saying anything.

"Jack's afraid of what the elemental said, she's afraid of which part of Riddick she'll get back," Bear explained watching Jack stop at the door. "Jack knows she can never kill Riddick, even if she's the only one that could do it, and she's afraid that he'll really be the bad guy when he gets back."

"I'm more afraid that he's dead," Jack mumbled as she walked out of their room and headed for hers on the other side of the large apartment they had. It was late, and Jack really just wanted to crash for a couple of days. Bear was right she was afraid of how Riddick would be when she got him back but she was more afraid that she wouldn't get him back at all…

"I could help you with some of that loneliness," Dodger said as he fell in step behind her.

"Your dick is too small," Jack said as she walked into her room pushing the door closed, or at least she tried. Dodger stopped it from shutting and followed her in.

"Come on Jack it wouldn't hurt you to get some," Dodger told her as he watched her kick off her shoes and crawl onto her bed under the covers. "In fact I think it might help seeing as you probably haven't gotten any since Riddick. You're too strong of a girl to be in this funk. If you won't do me than do Oliver, have a threesome with Bear and Sienna, just get over Riddick for a while and stop trying to kill yourself."

"I told you Dodger I'm not trying to kill myself," Jack insisted tiredly though she knew she never got much real sleep anymore if you followed Sienna's definition which didn't include passing out from exhaustion.

"Only people trying to kill themselves hide razorblades under their bed," Dodger said as he sat down on Jack's bed crossing his long legs as he leaned back against the wall the head of her bed was against.

"No, only people trying to hurt themselves do that. People really_ trying_ to kill themselves typically _succeed_," Jack explained pulling the covers off her head to look at the man next to her. She didn't need to ask how she knew where she hid her razor blade, Dodger seemed to step in as her screwy guardian when she started pushing Bear and Sienna away.

"When he comes back he's going to find the cuts Jack," Dodger said as he rubbed her back. "What do you think he's going to do?"

"Why do you want to fuck me anyway Dodger?" Jack asked, changing the subject. "You think Riddick's alive, when he found out, and he would, he'd probably skin you alive after cutting off anything you stuck in me."

"You're a girl, you're attractive, you're unattainable, and so by default I want to stick my fun bits in yours. Other than that no particular reason," Dodger shrugged a bit. "Oh and pissing Riddick off that much that he killed me so brutally would kind of be an accomplishment, an honor, you know what I mean? Well at least until he force-fed me my cock."

"I miss him Dodger…" Jack mumbled as Dodger continued to rub her back.

"Yeah I know," Dodger sighed as he looked off in front of him. He knew Jack wanted Riddick back, and really it was probably best he didn't do her. Not only would Riddick brutally murder him, but he'd make Jack watch. It'd ruin her image of him he was sure. Doing this probably wasn't much safer considering how it started. They had almost done it. Jack was naked before she threw him out. "You cried for a really long time…"

"You weren't him," Jack breathed turning her head away from Dodger. "I couldn't make you feel like him, or touch me like he did. You're a little taller and you're thinner… I'm his, not yours."

"You would have been imagining him…" Dodger said looking down at her though his hand didn't pause. He'd guessed it. He hadn't asked her to open her eyes, and when she did he knew it was over.

"I told you I didn't want you," Jack said sadly as she pushed herself up onto her knees to look at Dodger. She watched him for a long time before giving a halfhearted smile saying, "He's rougher than you too, you were gentle, nice, but not what I wanted."

"Riddick's rougher than a lot of people," Dodger laughed as he stood back up.

"He snuggles too though," Jack said smiling a little more.

"He's coming Jack," Dodger told her as he ruffled her hair. Changing the subject much like they always did when they ran into a subject they didn't care for Dodger added, "You're getting shaggy Jack, might wanna get Sienna to cut your hair again."

ooo

Jack jolted awake trying to figure out what woke her, only her body was already in motion and the lingering sound of a scream and gun fire was ringing in her ears. Jack looked at the door one her feet with no memory of getting out of bed, and she could hear the uniform steps of trained personal coming to her door. Jack ran for her window and slipped out remembering why she insisted on the bottom floor. She could hear her door open as she ducked around the side of the apartment building. Jack could see men in dark armor guarding the door, looked up the side of the building and could see others slipping out of the fire escapes doing the same thing as her. She stepped out onto the sidewalk and calmly began walking away. Other buildings weren't being raided. She didn't hear yelling for her to stop, and so there was no reason to run.

She didn't look behind her till she turned the corner.

No one.

Jack wiped at her cheek disposing of an errant tear.

_Stay with them as long as it's the safest thing._

That wasn't safe, a whole lot less safe than the rest of Lupus 7. She'd go back in a day or so and see if they were still there. For now she'd have to go back to childhood stomping grounds. Homeless shelters were mass shelters on this heap. They ran for blocks had different buildings. If you had a little money you could get a cheap room in the motels among the shelters.

If you were desperate you could give the owner head, owners always seemed to be guys, but Jack made a point to never be that desperate as a kid.

Hands in pockets Jack looked down at her feet finding she didn't have shoes on. What a pain… She'd deal with that in time. It was… Jack looked ahead of her at the rising sun… early. She would have to wait for places like that to open. Besides no one looked at a person's feet… At least she was wearing socks.

All she had to do was make sure she didn't step on a needle or some jagged piece of metal.

ooo

"I can't believe you're doing this!" Sienna yelled as she was strapped in to a little planet jumper. "You can't do this!"

The men in armor paid her little heed as they made sure everyone else strapped in. Bear sat next to her his hand over a flesh wound on his arm. Oliver was knocked out in a chair across the cabin. Dodger looked at the two talking at the front of the ship, they all wore helmets but it was obvious what was going on just by the black armor they adorned. Necromongers, and they thought their little group was somehow important. The two men in front had more custom armor, fit them well, one even had silver on his.

"You know she started cutting after _he_ left, she probably reeks to high hell of blood to the right person," Dodger said ignoring Sienna and Bear yelling his name. The large man in the black and silver armor, his head snapped to the side to look at Dodger who just grinned smugly before looking back in front of himself.

Bear paused before saying, "Sienna shut up."

"What the fuck Bear? He just let Jack cut herself up! He didn't tell us, but he knew!" Sienna insisted even though she had just about everyone's attention.

"He's telling the person that needs to hear it." Bear said before sitting back watching as two men were motioned out of the ship with the leader. "Now please be quiet babe, it's going to be a long day, and we have our fates to ponder."

ooo

"You don't look good girlie," The store clerk said as he put rang up the boots Jack put on the counter. She was his first sale of the day, she'd been waiting when he walked up.

"I had about an hour of sleep today," Jack said as she shoved her feet into the combat boots. "And there was a military raid in my apartment building earlier."

"Yeah, you hear the wolves are descending?" The guy said as Jack dropped her cred chip on his counter. "Those Necromonger guys.

"You're not worried?" Jack asked as she laced her shoes up tight before brushing off the long sleeves of her grey shirt.

"I'm not going to die, I figure I'll convert, I use to be military back in the day," The guy said with a shrug, "I'll just be going back to what I know."

"Good luck with that." Jack said as she finished up and grabbed the card back.

"Thanks, you get some sleep little girl. They take strong women, and you don't look too strong right now." He called after Jack as she headed out. Her head was spinning a bit, she was so tired, but shoes and food were important to survival. A roof was a luxury, sleep was needed to stay alive and alert any extra was a luxury.

Rubbing her hands over her face and through her hair Jack headed further into the worse part of the industrial hell. She walked into the first church she saw. A priest paused in his preaching, must have been Sunday now that she thought about it, and looked at her, had déjà vu just like she did. After a moment though he continued and Jack took it as a signal she was once more welcome to his back rows. He looked older now. Not the same wet behind the ears preacher boy with a brand new collar. Then again she was older too.

Neither probably thought they'd be here after all this time.

Jack fell asleep sometime around when some guy named Lot brought two men into his home. When she woke again the sermon was over and she was leaning against whoever was next to her. "I still frown upon sleeping during church Jack," The soft old priest said as he rubbed her arm and kissed the top of her head.

"Back in the day God frowned upon it and you thought it was funny," Jack mumbled as she looked up at him. He had some stubble, like he hadn't shaved this morning but had yesterday. He looked older a little more worn into his skin. His outfit wasn't as crisp as it had once been, but now looked like normal clothes for him, that belonged on him.

"Yes well," he mumbled back brushing his fingers through her hair, "I understand now that if I'd told you that I didn't approve you might have actually stayed awake, or made a point to sleep while I wasn't trying to teach you something."

"You're right there. Liked you Father Eli, didn't much care for God," Jack said as she watched a couple of people mill around cleaning, praying, and the like.

"Have you gone to see your mother yet?" Eli asked as he too watched the other people.

"No." Jack said simply, the answer didn't hold the old hate it had before. It had been hard to try and see a mother that disowned you because you'd almost been raped. It was hard to have a mother a few streets over in an apartment while you were living on the streets.

"Jack… she passed," Eli let her know trying to be gentle with the news.

Jack felt her heart stop for a second, before it started again and she felt weak. Still she asked, "When? How?"

"Last year, she was murdered Jack, one of her boyfriends," Eli told her rubbing her shoulder. "Her urn is here in the building around back."

"We all gotta go some time," Jack breathed as she leaned away from Eli stretching a bit. "And it seems like some of us are going to be going fast on this rock."

"I've heard the rumors," Eli said as he watched Jack stand.

Looking down at him Jack asked, "Why don't you leave? Take care of kids on another planet?"

"So many here can't leave Jack, they still come to mass, come to pray, what kind of man of god would I be if I left them?" Eli said as he watched Jack move around a bit, to get her legs working again.

"I met a man of God on my travels. He sold me to a monster to try and save his planet," Jack said as she looked to Eli to see his reaction, to hear his response. "He took me in, only to slave me out. Compared to that I don't think saving your own life is that bad. You wouldn't be sacrificing anyone."

"I'm sorry Jack," Eli said as he too stood. "Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Sometimes men of God lose their way and lead their flock awry."

"He tried to feed me to a wolf, but the wolf left me alone," Jack mumbled, "I wanted him to stay."

"I don't understand Jack…" Eli said looking at her confused now.

"I think God tried to be there, to save me, only I didn't want to fucking be saved," Jack said looking to Eli. She gave him a hug, which he uncertainly returned before she said, "I'm sorry father, I got sold to a really bad man who only did good things so he could see me smile, and then he got taken away. God took my only reason to smile."

"Oh Jack," Eli breathed as he hugged her a little more before letting her go. "You'll find another reason to smile."

"I guess." Jack said before she walked away, not looking back Jack told him, "I'll try and come see you again soon." It was hard to see Father Eli and know that he thought she was tested too much too. It was easier not to believe in shit, which would be easier without holy men and future seeing elementals.

* * *

AUTHORS NOTES!

And the next chapter is up! Fun times! Well for us. Jack's a little put out. Shitty things are happening to the group and more will happen and be explained in the next chapter. This would have been up earlier today, but I started to get ahead of myself and ended up editing it. It's much better now.

This is all coming insanely easy, so the next chapter is on it's way as well.

I hope this is still interesting for everyone. We've learned a little more about Jack, and we're coming into another good part.

REVIEW REPLIES!

**jenefaner:**Yup it kind of snuck up on me as well, but I like where I imagine it's going to go. Yeah Aereon isn't making many friends, but sadly she's a tad bit important, but she'll thankfully be little seen. And Riddick being offed would be tragic x.x nooo.

All good things to those who wait . we'll find out what happened to Riddick shortly.

And I'm glad you're not sick of me yet! Thank you for the reviews.

**RatedRGirl83:** I'm glad I'm keeping it interesting, and we'd all be heartbroken if Riddick was killed o.o It shouldn't be done. I just shouldn't. But yes! Yay for longer fanfics!

Reviews, replies, and question's are always welcomed!


	12. Old Places, New Leaders

"Let me the fuck go!" Jack yelled as she was dragged further back into the alley as the sun started to go back down. Her knife had been knocked from her hand, but that didn't stop her from kicking and punching, trying to get away from the men carrying her away. They reeked of alcohol to the point it made her eyes start to burn. She got one in the ribs but he just shoved at the other guy before throwing her at the ground. Jack landed on her hands and knees trying to scramble away, only a boot caught her in the side.

"You're gonna learn better little girl, than to be out here this late, you should have stayed with your mother!" The man who kicked her sneered.

Jack barely listened as she kept trying to get back to the front of the alley, at least to her knife. Her arm was already bleeding, but that was her doing before she was interrupted. Jack gasped as two boots came down on her at once, the other guy joining back in on her torment.

"No, no she looks more like a daddy's girl," The other one laughed moving in front of Jack, making her pause in her escape attempt to cover her head from being hit.

She wanted Riddick.

"You know you're right."

Jack's head snapped up only to yell in pain as she was stomped on again, this time the pain was sharp and lasted. Even as her eyes watered she looked towards the mouth of the alley when the guy in front of her moved. She didn't need to see though; she'd know that voice anywhere. She just didn't expect him to be flanked by two Necromongers while he wore the same armor, only his was decorated with silver, the man next to him holding what had to be his helmet.

"She is daddy's little girl, and I'll be wanting her back now," Riddick said as he picked up Jack's abandoned knife wondering who he should put it into.

Jack whimpered, squirming, only to yelp as the leader of the duo kicked her again before laughing, "Oh you must be fucking her."

Riddick didn't say anything, just threw the knife getting the leader in the foot, making the other guy run off. "Make sure they die slow," Riddick said nodding the two on either side of him forward, taking his helmet from the one. They followed his order quickly, moving forward, moving the man screaming about his foot away into the maze of the city.

"Please Riddick it hurts… It hurts so much…" Jack cried as he walked over to her. She struggled to get up, but collapsed roughly back against the ground.

"Calm down kiddo," Riddick breathed as he knelt down, setting his helmet on the ground before picking Jack up as carefully as he could. "We're going to get you better then we have other things to deal with."

"I missed you so much Riddick, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I didn't listen, I'm sorry I got in trouble," Jack whimpered, she didn't want him to leave her, and all she could think was that he knew somehow that she gave herself the cut on her arm. She was worried he'd leave her for good for fucking up.

"Breath Jack, baby I need you to calm down," Riddick told her forcing himself to be calm so she wouldn't be even more upset. Leaning down to where he was cradling her Riddick kissed her harder then he meant to, but it confirmed more that she was right there, that he had her. When he felt her grab for him only to whine in pain he pulled back grabbing his helmet. "Jack, I need you to stay calm. Say as little as you have to any of them unless I say it's okay kiddo."

"Riddick what's going on?" Jack breathed as he put his helmet back on. It was black just like the rest of his armor, decorated with silver, and a wolf face made into the metal above the eyes. It all looked battle worn but it seemed to fit him so well…

"I did what the elemental and Imam wanted, and then I did what I wanted," Riddick said as he stood with her to take her back to the ship. "You keep what you kill around here." By now the Basilica would be close enough that he could get them up and to a doctor within the hour. After she was fixed up… he'd have to decide where to start other than getting her naked.

ooo

"You could wait six weeks for her ribs to heal up, they're still in li…three days? It's the fastest we can mend her ribs without causing her unnecessary pain, and without the risk of certain activities causing complications. We give her the rest of today to rest, give her the procedure tomorrow, and the third day to recover from the treatment." Brigid, the best_ female_ doctor in Necropolis, said as she looked between Riddick and Jack. Upon looking at Riddick she figured out that six weeks was too long. "She'll still be tender but as long as she takes it easy she can stay with you if that's what you want my lord."

"That's fine," Riddick said as he watched Jack watching him. Her fingers gripped at the sheets on the bed and he knew she wanted to touch him. Jack was listening about keeping quiet, told Brigid about the pain and what happened and nothing else. Thankfully whatever painkillers she was given didn't make her giddy, or talkative, just calmed her down and took the pain. He wasn't especially concerned about Brigid though, she took her role as a doctor very seriously even the confidentiality part, and she wasn't twitchy around him so he suspected she didn't have anything to hide. Aside from being one of the only female doctors on board she was very good at what she did regardless of gender, and best of all she hated Dame Vaako. "I'll be down to see her every day, I want to be kept updated when I'm not here, and no one is else allowed near her unless I'm here or have said otherwise, in person to you. If anyone tries to pull rank on you call me, and warn them I will personally remove them from not only the room, but the ship too."

"If someone asks I'll tell them it's because she can't get excited, or it'd interfere with her recovery, which isn't entirely untrue," Brigid said looking at Jack meaningfully. When she was spared a glance by the girl she took it as a sign that the message was received.

"I don't want you to take any other cases until she's out of here, you can keep any that you're currently working on," Riddick said following behind his goggles as Jack reached out for him. While he had the throne room dimmed most of the time it just wasn't practical to keep some places in the dark. Sighing he moved closer touched her hand before she grabbed the side of his pants. His lips twitched up even as he caught the doctor tilting her head to the side in apparent wonder.

"I'll make her top priority," Brigid said before she righted her head asking point blank, "Can I ask who she is? We didn't get to touch on that subject while you bodily dragged me in here to examine her." After a slight pause she added, "With all due respect Lord Marshal."

"Her name's Jack, and she's mine, it's all you need to know," Riddick said looking to the other woman.

"What should I tell others who can't take a hint?" Brigid asked after a slight nod.

"Tell them you don't know, she's a part of the group I brought on board, and my newest pet." Riddick said tracing his fingers up and down Jack's arm.

"But, Lord Marshal, that's not true, you gave her that tattoo I'm guessing," Brigid said her eyes drifting down to where Jack was holding onto Riddick.

"I know it's not true, but that's what you're going to tell everyone unless I decide to share otherwise," Riddick said grabbing onto Jack's arm when she tried to let him go to hide her wrist. "Anything you hear us say or see us do is to be kept to yourself."

"And the scars?" Brigid asked. It was that question more than anything worried her.

"Repair any you make putting her back together, I'm going to need scar reduction gel when she's released," Riddick said as Jack grabbed onto his clothes harder. "We're going to handle that ourselves."

Jack didn't particularly like being talked about like she wasn't there, but she felt rather numb because of the meds she was given. She just wanted Riddick; they could say anything they wanted as long as he didn't leave.

"Is there anything else before I give you two time to yourselves, Lord Marshal?" Brigid asked as she stepped back to prepare the beginning of Jack's treatment.

"If Jack asks for me for any reason while I'm gone I want to be notified immediately no matter what time, especially at night," Riddick said watching Brigid, to make sure she understood, "The Purifier, Thanatos, he'll give you the link to my communicator."

"I understand." Brigid nodded before she left the private room in the hospital ward.

Once she was gone Riddick sat on the edge of the bed with her. He kissed the top of her head, holding her still, so she didn't try to turn and grab him.

"Riddick…" Jack whined looking up at him, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Shh," Riddick hushed her as he moved off the bed for a moment pulling off the chest plate of his armor setting it on the chair that was supposed to be for him, before sitting down with her. "It's okay Jack. I'm going to take care of you."

"But you're angry at me, and now I'm stuck in here for three days, and I don't want to be in here. Please I don't want to stay in here," Jack whimpered looking up at him. "I can't sleep anymore Riddick. It's happening again."

"You're right Jack I'm pissed off at you," Riddick growled against her hair, "I want to fuck you, but I can't or I'll hurt you more. I want to punish you and leave you locked in a room somewhere where only I can get you, but then you wouldn't get better fast enough. The only reason I'm not hurting you is because you did a damn good job of that on your own. In three days though we're going to fix this and you're going to explain every detail of how this happened." He tapped the newest cut on her arm for emphasis, "So I suggest you take the next three days to figure out exactly how you want to tell me."

Jack lightly bit her lip, trying not to cry as Riddick held her. She didn't know what she wanted to say, but apparently she didn't have to right now. Riddick asked, "Did you and Dodger fuck?"

Jack frowned at him before looking at her lap saying, "… Almost… I… I wanted you and for a little while I could imag… but he wasn't you and I wanted _you_." Riddick grabbed her hands stopping her from clawing at her arms, or curling in on herself. "He wasn't you and like I told Dodger I couldn't make him you, he didn't touch me the right way, he didn't feel like you. I wanted you, but you weren't there. I'm sorry I just wanted you back."

"Shh, Jack I'm not mad, hush baby," Riddick hummed. It's what he wanted to hear, the truth, it was even a truth he could settle for. Even if she'd done Dodger she wouldn't have been thinking about Dodger. When she whined about him lying he shook his head saying, "No, this one I'm not mad about Jack. Hurting yourself I won't stand for, but fessing up about Dodge even though you two didn't fuck, I'm not mad." Okay so he wanted to drop kick Dodger, worse really, for touching Jack at all, but he could let it slide. Dodger let him know what Jack was doing to herself, and Jack didn't lie about what had happened between them. They'd all live.

"I wanted you," Jack breathed nearly melting into Riddick's side, tired from the outburst, and the meds, and everything else.

"I know Jack," Riddick said kissing the top of her head.

ooo

"Lord Marshal, she's out of surgery, everything went perfectly. If you want she should be awake and alert after dinner if you'd like to come down late," Brigid said as she watched the Lord Marshal on her screen.

"When will she be awake?" Riddick asked as he watched the purifier stand patiently in front of his desk. Riddick had come to find Thanatos was probably a major reason he wasn't immediately "dethroned" by a hoard of ladder climbing Necromongers. He was also pretty much the soul reason could have Jack at all, he was keeping things running smoothly while Riddick led legions into battle, and blatantly ignored paperwork.

"It's hard to say, we gave her an anesthetic that weans out of her system slowly to give extra rest. That was when we left the message an hour ago, it should be completely out of her system by now, and she's merely sleeping on her own. We anticipated this, and thought this was the best way to go considering this morning. She's lucky she didn't do any more damage to herself..." Brigid explained as she shooed away a nurse that seemed very concerned by the woman's use of "we".

Riddick nodded, remembering this morning, he never wanted to wake up to that again. Brigid called him, Thanatos was at his door, and Vaako valiantly hid the commotion from his wife by blaming his new menagerie of "pets". Jack had almost stabbed someone, had probably done some damage to herself, and he almost took her in front of Brigid, her small team, and Thanatos. "I'll be down as soon as I'm done here. Try to see if I can make it before she wakes up." Riddick said rubbing the side of his face as he remembered Jack pulling him out of his shirt making those little pleading noises at him.

"Lord Marshal there's something I want to seriously ask you, and I need you to answer me with the head on your shoulders," Brigid said looking at him like a mother that was seriously thinking about smacking her kid before he did something stupid. When she got a nod and a look of interest she sighed before asking, "Do you think you can control yourself and keep her in your rooms for the rest of her recovery? If you can't we'll leave Jack here, but if you can she needs bed rest the rest of tonight, and all day and night tomorrow. No sex, no moving more than a couple inches, no sex of any kind, no fingering her, no giving her oral, needless to say she shouldn't be moving enough to take care of your needs either."

Riddick frowned as Thanatos shook his head in amusement before he looked back at the screen asking, "Why so much emphasis on the no sex?"

"With all due respect Lord Marshal, but you almost had sex with my patient in front of me this morning," Brigid said rubbing the bridge of her nose trying not to recall the intimate scene that had played out in front of her and the others. "I know that you were trying to calm her, but if you had not been reminded of your audience we would have seen you do more than partially undress her."

"Fine, fine, I'll keep everything under control, she can stay with me," Riddick said wanting to hold that warm little body again, even if it was just while they slept.

"Good because Dame Vaako has been sniffing around, and I'm getting sick of her asking me how things are going. I'll give you the instructions on caring for her, and the rules again when you come to pick her up." Brigid said with a nod.

Riddick shut off the vid call before looking to Thanatos expectantly.

"The elders wish to once more thank you and congratulate you for bringing slavery to the Necromongers They feel it has improved the quality of life here. They however are not sure about the colonies you're leaving unconverted on other planets. I'm sure that'll change once the colonies shipments come in over the next few months and they remember what real food is," Thanatos said as he looked at a little tablet he held in his hand. "You'll have to sign the documents sitting in your office in your rooms, Nikolia and Dodger will be released tonight, Oliver tomorrow afternoon, they've been briefed over protocol, how to act appropriately around others, and the woman, Sienna, named three more objects of which you could fuck yourself with, and she wants to see Jack."

They had to make it look like the three had converted, and to save Sienna the pain for Jack sake more than the ravers he was giving her as a slave to Nikolia. No conversion marks necessary. "Tell Sienna again that no one is seeing Jack but me, and I'm going to need you and Vaako to handle the small shit tomorrow so I can keep an eye on Jack and make sure she actually stays in bed. Unless we overtake these dumps tomorrow I don't want to have to leave her. Oh, and send a seamstress up to see Ziza I want her to have something nice to wear when she can come up to see Jack. Maybe a sari, or a dress, something light."

"Of course, and when should I have a seamstress come to see Jack?" Thanatos asked diplomatically.

"Right Jack's going to need clothing eventually," Riddick mumbled as he ignored Thanatos shaking his head. "Send one up the day after tomorrow, she won't need them that soon, but they can take their time and do a good job."

"I take it I can inform the seamstress to take her time and put special care into Ziza's dress as well," Thanatos said making a few notes on the tablet.

"Mmh, yeah," Riddick nodded, "Let Ziza pick the color."

"Is there anything else?" Thanatos asked, looking back at him.

"Did Jack's blood work show up yet?" Riddick asked as he stood up lowering his goggles.

"She hasn't been poisoned, she has no diseases, no immediate family on the ship," Thanatos said no longer needing to look at the tablet. "Jack is a mutt for lack of a better word, her family comes from long lines of spacers, miners, and the like, but she has some of us in her, one of her grandfathers was Furyan. Just enough to feel a bond with a strong member of our race."

"Thanatos you know I don't like to be reminded of when I fuck up," Riddick sighed as he started from the room, the purifier falling in step beside him.

"She was young, even for a Furyan bride, at the time you met," Thanatos assured him as they walked through the halls. "It would have been appropriate for you to leave her with her parents, less contact the longer you could have gone without her. The older the male the more appropriate it is for the female to be in her late teens early twenties. If you'd been closer in age, sixteen was recorded as the average age for females."

Statistics in general did not make him feel better, and neither did these. If Jack had been sixteen her ass would have been on his ship when he left New Mecca and he wouldn't be the leader of this nuthouse. He would have been able to wait even with her right there a year or two. Twelve though, twelve had been too young. "Have dinner brought up to my rooms for me and Jack, and thank Vaako for his assistance earlier."

"I'll make sure Jack's food is light," Thanatos said before he stopped walking and turned around to take care of the rest of his business in this section of the ship.

ooo

When he made it down to the hospital wards he walked passed Dame Vaako who gave him a particularly dirty look that she didn't seem to know he saw from behind his goggles. She usually gave him those demonically sweet smiles when she knew he was looking at her. She must have been trying get passed Brigid into Jack's room and failed. He sped up a little more to make sure that she had indeed failed to see Jack. The less anyone knew about her the better, at least while she wasn't at her best.

Walking into the small part of the hospital ward that Brigid typically took care of he walked up to Jack's door knocking lightly when he found the door was locked. It took a moment but Brigid opened it, and ushered him inside, and started right in with what he needed to know for Jack.

"No sex, You're going to need to give her two of the pain pills on the bedside table once every four hours as she needs it, if she doesn't need them don't give them to her or she might start to get addicted, no sex, keep her in bed until the day after tomorrow. Make sure she's comfortable, no se- _none of this!"_ Brigid practically screeched when she found Jack out of bed pressing herself into Riddick's side.

Riddick chuckled as he picked Jack up nuzzling her cheek saying, "I think I got it Doctor." He held Jack close to him, his chuckle fading as he heard and felt her start to breathe heavily. He quickly moved over to the bed laying Jack back down petting her hair back as she swallowed a whimper.

"Except that she's in pain!" Brigid insisted as she rushed around getting Jack a glass of water as Riddick grabbed the pill bottle opening it, letting Jack hold onto him. After Riddick coaxed her into taking the pills and drinking most of the water he looked to the doctor who explained, "She's been put back together, but her ribcage has pretty much been brutalized. Think of it like your eye-shine, I'm sure your eyes hurt after but they weren't broken." Usually she'd use filling a cavity as simile for these kinds of things, but she doubted that Riddick had any. Some races were just built tougher.

Riddick nodded as he brushed his fingers through the front of Jack's hair. She was getting a little shaggy…

"This is why you have to keep her still, or she'll be in pain, and it'll put major stress on her system. Which could lower her immune system, and she could get sick from any number of things that the soldiers come on board with or any other Necromonger that stretches their legs planet side. If she got sick, she could get really sick, and… it just won't be pleasant…" Brigid trailed off when she got that she was rambling on.

"No sex. Keep her in bed. Got it. Does she need to be laying down, or can she sit up?" Riddick asked as he let Jack grab onto his hand.

"As long as she's supported she can sit up…" Brigid said watching Jack with a slight frown as the young woman seemed to catch on.

"I can stay with you tonight?" Jack asked pulling on his hand.

"Yeah kid you're coming with me," Riddick grinned down at her.

"If you permit Lord Marshal, I'll be up tomorrow to check on her, I've set up an appointment for seven months from now to update her implant, and I'll bring up the gel for the scaring when I come up tomorrow," Brigid said as she watched the pair again in slight wonder.

"Implant?" Riddick asked looking down at Jack.

"Birth control," Jack mumbled as she let her fingers slide from his, embarrassed.

"Right… and is there a reason I can't have the gel now?" Riddick asked this time looking to Brigid.

"I fear it might cause you to forget most of the rules you're to follow when you take her up to your quarters Lord Marshal," Brigid explained, only to sigh when Riddick held his hand out for it. She pulled two tubes from her pocket, anticipating this. "Other than this you're free to take her upstairs. I'll have a nurse bring you a wheelchair."

"I'm going to head up first, send Jack up behind me," He would have carried her, but then that would make Jack a target more than others. He leaned down once Brigid nodded and walked off, and gave Jack a lopsided grin saying, "I'll see you in a couple minutes kid." He kissed her lightly before adding, "I'll get everything ready for you upstairs."

ooo

"Do I really have to be naked?" Jack whimpered as she leaned back against Riddick while he signed things on the tray that had previously held her meal hours ago. It was bright enough that she could see if she focused, but she wasn't interested in Riddick's paperwork anymore than she figured he was.

"We've been over this, you fucked up, I've had to lock up everything remotely dangerous, and you will explain yourself," Riddick said as he glanced over the paper he was signing. He didn't have too, Thanatos only left routine stuff in his office up here, but it took his mind off of the very naked Jack in front of him. It was all signing off on pay, the death toll, the conversion toll, how many ships were lost, how many ships were being built to replace them on the lower levels. This was all the shit he hated. He was made to be a warrior, not a politician. This is why he led the armies with Vaako and Thanatos signed off on anything that didn't absolutely need his signature. For a dictator he still had to listen to plenty of elders, generals, and people "of worth" bitch at him. He signed the last paper before carefully removing himself from behind Jack who had once more gone quite.

When he came back Jack frowned, watching him, before asking, "How… how did this happen?"

"I killed the last Lord Marshal. After that it was a matter of me taking the position or being killed for the rights to it," Riddick said not sitting back down with her yet. She sank back into the pillows pulled a blanket up over her chest; he let her have it because he had to admit it was a little cold in here. If he wanted to see her though all he had to do was take it from her, and that felt so good.

"You killed him when the purifier was giving his speech… Vaako helped kind of…" Jack mumbled looking to see if she was right. "During all the chaos of the converts trying to run away from the fight…"

"Did Brigid tell you?" Riddick asked as he crawled onto the bed with her, putting his arm around her.

"I had a dream, you didn't kneel and he underestimated you, he didn't know you, and you stuck knife in his head, Aereon keeps showing me horrible things…" Jack explained as she leaned into him. "It's why I hate to sleep now… I can't sleep without her fucking with me Riddick."

Riddick was quiet as he looked in front of them before he looked down at Jack taking a deep breath so as to not snap at her. "You're absolutely sure she's controlling it?"

"I'm pretty sure…" Jack breathed before she pressed her face against his side as she slid down more as the pain started to come back, "She's really specific and I'd never come up with the crap she says… it, it really hurt that I could see you but I could never touch you, or talk to you. She took you away a lot when I made her angry. She couldn't get rid of the wolves though… They didn't always do anything though. Sometimes they just sat there with me while she lectured me in this circular room. Other times they snapped at her heels."

He was going to kill that woman, painfully, but only after he destroyed her world.

"You're thinking something really dark Riddick…" Jack said as she looked up at him, biting her lower lip.

"I told her that if she ever touched your mind again I'd impale her on a spike in the throne room as a form of entertainment for these people, I don't think it's enough," Riddick said as he slid bringing Jack with him so they were laying together. "I think she knows that the Necro elders won't let me off her until we're closer to their goal."

"I got the feeling you were… a king or something." Jack said taking a deep breath as she felt a twinge of pain creeping along her side.

"I am, but if I piss them off too much they'll make things difficult and probably try to have me assassinated," Riddick shrugged. "I listen to them bitch enough as it is. Apparently they preferred how the guy before me was more of a strategist and figure head. They live under the delusion that I'll be killed in battle."

"Pft, Mars killed in battle, that'd be the day," Jack chuckled trying to mask how much it was starting to hurt again. Not as bad as when she stood up to hold Riddick, but still not pleasant.

"Mars?" Riddick asked as he kissed her forehead. "Like the planet?"

"An Old Earth god of war, Aereon compares you to them sometimes; some of them use to name their gods after planets, now we name our planets after their gods…" Jack explained before she whined and pressed her forehead to his chest. "It hurts Riddick…"

"Okay, hold on baby," Riddick breathed as he removed himself from her, he thought about stopping to tell Thanatos to knock out Aereon, but resisted and retrieved water and two pills. He helped her up to take them, setting the cup on the bedside table before settling back in with her. Pulling the blanket from her Riddick ghosted his hand down her side before wrapping his arm around her, kissing her shoulder. He wanted her to be better but it would have to wait.

"I use to cut when I was younger, before I met you," Jack breathed against him, not completely sure why she was telling him now, her fingers moving under his shirt to feel the muscles along his side. "I stopped after I killed my stepfather, and couldn't go back home. On the streets I felt in control only person in charge of me was me. I stole some gel, like you got for me, and I got rid of the scars before I met you…"

Maybe it was best he be gentle for now. He hadn't been gentle since the last time he'd been with her. "Why'd you do it this time?" Riddick asked, even though he'd given more time to figure out how to tell him. Maybe she would tell him now though.

Jack had figured out how to tell him yesterday after he left for the night. She pulled her hands out from under his shirt even though he was still so warm, and said, "I didn't have any order Riddick, you weren't there to give me order." Sighing she added, "I didn't feel like I was in control of anything, and you weren't there to be in control. I was so tired… and Bear and Sienna were trying to figure out how to keep us there for a year, and I could never be sure that you weren't already dead because I couldn't know if the elemental was just fucking with me." He pushed his fingers through her hair saying, "I… I started again because she gave me a nightmare, and it showed you being killed, and… a-and then I couldn't be sure anymore because I knew she could change things. I didn't have anything, and I woke up feeling so numb. What happened with Dodger happened that night and after I threw him out I… I needed to… I cut, and that's why I cried so much. I knew you'd be so disgusted by it. I couldn't stop though…"

"Only Dodger knew?" Riddick asked as he pulled her up higher pressing his forehead to hers.

"Dodger found blood on my clothes one day, and then went snooping around my room and found the razorblade… I hid it from everyone else, and threatened Dodger…" Jack closed her eyes against Riddick. "I told him I'd cut deeper and he'd have to explain to everyone what happened… That when you came back he'd have to tell you exactly why he let your pup die."

Riddick sighed and rubbed her back, kissing her face, and nuzzling her. She kissed him back, one of her legs moving to curl over his hip. He clicked his tongue at her but it didn't stop him from moving his own leg so his thigh was firmly between hers. All he had to do was remember that he had to be careful with her, and they couldn't get too worked up. When he felt her rock against him he groaned before reluctantly forcing her to flip over so her back was to his front as he curled around her. "Soon Jack," He insisted his voice low and husky.

* * *

AUTHORS NOTES

Okay so this chapter wouldn't have taken nearly as long if the holidays hadn't distracted me out of my mind, but here it is! I think it might move a little fast, but it should be okay. Not much to say, I'm moving right along with this, I'm kind of neglecting my other babies still, but I feel kind of like I'm on a roll.

REVIEW REPLIES

**RatedRGirl83:** Okay no he rather not be killed by Riddick, but like he said it kind of be an accomplishment to piss him off that badly. At least in theory. Dodger doesn't exactly have all his marbles though, not crazy, not dumb, but not exactly normal. AND we all found Riddick. Good times... kind of. He knows and he's not too happy but knows he can't do much with Jack unless he really wants to hurt her.

**jenefaner:** I'm glad you're not sick of me! And *gives cookies* Yes you win that he is! I'm glad you liked that little bit, I wanted to play a little with Jack's past. Happy late holidays and as always thank you!

**frostykist:** Thank you so much!

**Savvy:** I'm glad you still like it ^_^ And yeah Riddick wasn't especially dark upon his return this chapter, but as soon as this healing Jack thing, comes to an end he's going to be rougher around the edges. So we'll see.

Review, replies, and questions are always wanted and welcome!


	13. Bonding Habits

Jack blushed deeply as Brigid ran her fingers along her sides gently feeling along her ribs. Riddick refused to give her anything to wear even though Thanatos was also in the room briefing Riddick on what he would have to do today so he could stay with her. Brigid was being professional, Thanatos was careful not to look at her, and Riddick was busy, but she still felt so very embarrassed. It was one thing to be punished like this in private, it was another entirely for other people to see.

"Jack, please lift your arms," Brigid requested as she watched her, the girl had become less concerned with being naked for her exam, but was obviously nervous about the men in the room for it. At least Jack stopped staring at her and was keeping her eyes on the men. She did as she was told and Brigid poked and prodded making sure that the bonding took and her ribs were alright. Lowering her voice she asked, "Do I want to know why you're being denied clothing?"

Frowning Jack lowered her arms and tapped one of the cuts on her legs whispering, "I broke a deal."

"It is an unusual punishment," Thanatos offered up as he finished up getting papers signed and making Riddick aware he would still be receiving calls throughout the day.

"Do you want to tell me a different way to handle this?" Riddick asked as he looked over at Jack who was starting to squirm as Brigid turned her pursuit from her ribs to her cuts.

"Of course not Lord Marshal, I'm sure you're making your point to her very clear," Thanatos hummed as he looked to find Riddick moving closer to the women in the room.

"Where did you get this?" Brigid asked after Jack leaned forward apparently childishly done with her exam. There was a scar on her shoulder blade, an X.

Riddick frowned waving the doctor out of the way as he touched the scar on her shoulder feeling Jack shiver a little. "I did that," Riddick said as he rubbed her back, looking at the doctor who was trying not to appear too disapproving. The last time he saw that scar it wasn't yet a scar, it was healing, and now it seemed so long ago. "She tried to run away."

"And you wonder why she cut herself," Brigid said under her breath only to gasp as she found herself against the wall. Finding a very angry man holding her off her feet she rushed over her words saying, "I'm sorry, I forgot myself Lord Marshal!"

Growling Riddick let the woman go wondering if before she was converted if she would have yelled at him. "If she's fine you need to leave," Riddick demanded moving back over to Jack and pulling her up into his arms, sitting with her.

"She… still needs more bed rest," Brigid said before excusing herself from the room.

"She tried to run away?" Thanatos asked looking to the couple.

"He was being an ass," Jack breathed even as she pressed her face to Riddick's neck. "He just came back for me, but he was pushing so much, I needed a break. I didn't know what to do…"

"You were scared," Thanatos surmised watching the two carefully.

"Nervous. He was being mean…" Jack said melting further against Riddick as keeping herself upright started to become difficult. "Like now, taking my clothes, and letting other people see me… For such a possessive man he sure isn't shy about letting the whole world have an eyeful of me…I called him obsessive once, and he got all angry at me even if he is."

"Some animals don't like certain things pointed out to them," Thanatos reasoned for the Lord Marshal, "And what's best for a mate sometimes causes a dominate partner to act out of character."

Riddick frowned as he nuzzled the top of Jack's head wondering if it was time to kick Thanatos out too. He was making sense though.

"As for him being so… mean when he came back for you the first time I think he was just trying to bond with you again," Thanatos said cautiously patting Jack's head. "Now if you'll both excuse me I have orders to relay."

They both waited until he was gone before Jack looked up at Riddick asking, "Is he right?"

It had been so long ago, he'd felt every day, still he asked, "Remember when we took that shower together? Right before we fucked for the first time? What did I say we were doing?" When Jack didn't answer he rubbed her side laying back, his legs still off the bed, but with Jack on top of him. "Told you we were bonding. Not my fault you weren't paying attention."

Jack was quiet for a long time just feeling Riddick's breathing move her up and down before she asked, "Can we take a shower… or a bath?"

Riddick held her for a couple of seconds before grinning at the ceiling saying, "Yeah baby we can take a bath."

ooo

The water was warm, there was actually steam coming off it around them. Jack smiled a bit at that watching as Riddick swirled his fingers next to them in the very large sunken in bath. They'd long since finished washing up, and Riddick seemed in no big rush to get out, and so Jack was more than happy to sit there with him even if they were both naked. She was getting tired though, and squirmed as the fingers of Riddick's other hand ghosted down her side.

"Feel better?" Riddick asked kissing the top of her head as he got her to lean back against him a bit more. Jack hummed and nodded her head as Riddick tapped his fingers against her stomach softly in thought. "Kiddo, I'm going to give you something, you have to wear them so I can keep you."

"You suck at this bonding thing," Jack said even as she smiled up at him. "If you have to warn me, obviously I'm going to be upset."

Riddick could feel his lips twitch up in a smirk. "I went all the way back to New Mecca, myself, to get them."

Jack frowned at that before smacking his knee saying, "You went all the way back to New Mecca to fucking get my paperwork and those stupid bracelets." She didn't need to ask, she knew what was up. "Riddick you fucking ass."

"I wasn't making you into one of them," Riddick said lifting them out of the water. "I had to figure it out."

"We could just leave…" Jack breathed as she let Riddick set her down on a counter next to the sink. She watched as he quickly dried off before discarding the towel behind him and grabbing a dry one for her. Holding onto his shoulders she watched him expectantly, wanting him to respond but he wouldn't. Instead he just dried her off before picking her back up and walking her out to the bed to set her down. "Why can't we leave?"

"This isn't like running from mercs Jack," Riddick said as he brushed his fingers through her shaggy hair, undoing tangles with his fingers for a few moments before sitting with her. "Eventually we'd run out of planets to go to."

"Swing back around them and go to a planet they've already hit?" Jack asked as she watched Riddick stand back up and walk to his closet. He walked in and when he came out he was wearing black pants. "Riddick?"

"Those things they leave on the planets, they scan for life Jack. People are doing that, setting up colonies after sneaking around us. Every year they pick one and send a team or two out to kill them all. No people come off those planets to convert," Riddick said walking over to the bedside table. "They stay until there are no readings coming off the planet but them."

Jack stayed quiet after that watching as Riddick pulled out one of the tubes. "These people all intend to kill themselves…"

"I'm working on it Jack," Riddick breathed as he motioned for her to lie down.

"You're supposed to let me rest today…" Jack complained even she let him move her down onto her back.

"This isn't going to hurt you, and I'm not going to do anything to you," Riddick said popping open the tube. In truth the scars were making him edgy. He had no one to hurt for them; he couldn't hurt his pup over this. "We'll bond a little more, but the scars gotta go."

Jack squirmed as Riddick turned to the other leg, blushing as his hands went higher than they really needed to. She reached down to push at his hands but he just gripped her thigh harder. "Riddick…" Jack complained as she put her arms over her face. It was nice to feel his hands on her, but it was too nice and with him sitting between her legs she couldn't hide from him. The pads of his fingers were rough, he was being firm, and she wasn't upset about him touching the scars anymore.

Riddick hushed her softly even as his beast paced inside him. He paused grabbing the gel and squeezed more onto his fingers before working on some newer scars. Jack stopped trying to pull her leg back, but he could still feel her muscles bunch and relax under his fingers. He closed his eyes when she gasped, she was just getting more and more sensitive as time went on. Stopping he opened his eyes back on her and pulled her up into his lap. "You make it very hard to be good Jack," Riddick breathed as he pressed his lips to the side of her mouth.

"It's your fault," Jack breathed kissing his shoulder. "You just couldn't wait until tomorrow."

"You're okay now aren't you pup?" Riddick asked as he rubbed her back before kissing her slowly. He pressed his hand to her lower back keeping her close against him. "Okay enough for a little fun?"

Jack nipped at his jaw, she wanted to but she didn't want to ruin it by getting hurt, wanting him to stop. She squirmed against him, hearing him growl in her ear. "The doctor said…" Jack gasped as his hands started to wander purposefully over her body.

"She just doesn't want me to have you," Riddick breathed kissing her deeply as his hands moved to knead and work her sides and hips. "She probably doesn't approve of slavery. Some Necro's come out weird… well weird to their tastes."

Kissing the side of his mouth Jack pressed as close to him as she could, feeling her skin against his. "Slow?" Jack asked peppering kisses across his check and down his neck. "Just in case?"

"We'll start slow baby," Riddick growled, moving so she was laying down against the bed. He kissed her neck and moved downwards. "Test the waters, see how you do."

Jack breathed resting her hands on his shoulders as he moved and lingered at her breasts making her breath stutter as she watched him. He was holding her gently, and he was taking his time tasting her. She frowned knowing he probably wouldn't be able to kiss her thighs, or at least he wouldn't want to with the gel still making her skin feel moist and soft. He glanced up at her and tapped her hip growling at her.

"Sorry…" Jack mumbled putting a leg over his hip.

Riddick frowned nuzzling the valley between her breasts, asking, "You want to wait?" It was a generous thing he was asking, but he was still capable of asking, and he didn't want to hurt her like that not after he just got her back.

"No! … I mean, I want… to," Jack started quickly but slowed as he started to grin. He reached back rubbing the hip of the leg hooked around him. "I was just thinking about something."

"Then we will, just stop thinking little girl," He grinned at her holding her close before he went back to tasting her.

* * *

AUTHORS NOTES:

Long time coming huh? Sorry about that, but here it is. A little bonding, and a bit of a warning for the next chapter when things start to get fun again.

REVIEW REPLIES:

**RatedRGirl83:** Yes Riddick is back, and he's nice and in charge of everything. And up to something. Yes Brigid does not approve of them sexing for what reasons though are her own. I'm glad you liked Riddick's helmet I thought it was fitting. But yes darker Riddick. He's still being soft but all good things come to an end. Especially when Jack does things to be difficult.

**jenefaner:** Thank you, and it's coming, bonding first .

**Savvy:** Yes yay! And I wanted to add that in but didn't want her to be outright Furyan. I thought it was a good way to go about it.

**jaa162:** Yeah well I wouldn't imagine things to simple between them, but thank you I'm glad you like it.

**xAprilx:** Thank you!


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